freda underhill - 25 Apr 04 - 10:02 PM
"the latest is that the US and UN have decided to bring back the Baath party in Iraq."

The latest according to who?

El Greko - 25 Apr 04 - 08:39 AM
"Teribus, please define "National Interest". Give examples."

The guiding principle of successive British governments for the last four hundred years (up until the end of the Second World War) has been the belief that it was against our "National Interest" to have any one nation dominant in Europe. Throughout much of that period it was vital to Britain's "National Interest" that the port of Antwerp should not be held by any major power in Europe. The normal stragety employed by successive British governments was to ally Britain to the weaker side in any European conflict in order to defeat the stronger.

In following the above Britain did not seek any territorial gain in Europe. Britain did not seek any advantage in trade in Europe. What it did gain was peace and prosperity within Britain and secured British trade with her overseas possessions, thereby securing a market for British goods, employment for British industry and a guaranteed supply of raw materials. All of which Britain had, but had Britain not acted to protect what were perceived to be her "National Interests" those advantages would not have been secured for long. Greed is just too simple a term, too many other factors come into the equation.