> On 15 Nov 2017, at 20:03, Mark Blackman <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 15 Nov 2017, at 17:10, Bill Woodcock <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On Nov 15, 2017, at 1:34 PM, Mark Blackman <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> Would you say that the current administrations of China, the US and Russia 
>>> observe diplomatic norms in general?
>> Yes, certainly.  It’s the exceptions that draw attention.  Which is exactly 
>> the purpose of the norm: to make exceptions notable.
>>> Possibly some norms are better than none, but I am not so sure.
>> This is interesting, because several people on the UKNOF list are expressing 
>> similar views, and in a year of working on it, we haven’t heard this from 
>> anyone else.  Can you expand a little?  You prefer the status-quo?  You see 
>> a danger in normalizing non-aggression?  What’s the danger or problem that 
>> you’re considering?
> I am not convinced that some unenforceable document enumerating norms will 
> change behaviours, that’s all. If I’m wrong, great. I am happy to fill out 
> the survey, if that helps stop attacks. I think state-level legislation is 
> likely to be more effective at restraining state actors than a list of norms,

State level legislation has to exist first..

> but perhaps enumerating norms will help trigger state-level legislation.

I believe that is the point that Bill is trying to make.

Regards
Denesh

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