> How does that work? Is there a global arbiter of moral authority?
In a sense, yes there is a collective global arbitration process among many countries, consisting of international opinion, persuasiveness, respect, influence, trade relations, diplomacy, and generally all the things called "soft power".
It's not a formal system, yet has considerable power to influence events inside countries nonetheless.
Persuasiveness and respect are part of the mechanism by which such influence has an effect, and that's where percieved moral authority comes in.
Rather than posit some judge that decides if a country does or does not have actual moral authority, perhaps it's more accurate to say the perception of moral authority is key component of effective influence.
Interesting observation about Orwell's letters, btw.
In a sense, yes there is a collective global arbitration process among many countries, consisting of international opinion, persuasiveness, respect, influence, trade relations, diplomacy, and generally all the things called "soft power".
It's not a formal system, yet has considerable power to influence events inside countries nonetheless.
Persuasiveness and respect are part of the mechanism by which such influence has an effect, and that's where percieved moral authority comes in.
Rather than posit some judge that decides if a country does or does not have actual moral authority, perhaps it's more accurate to say the perception of moral authority is key component of effective influence.
Interesting observation about Orwell's letters, btw.