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Aug. 2nd, 2002 06:40 am
(no subject)
Concept: International Law is a damned good idea, and the only way to insure -- or at least encourage -- cooperation between the disparate nations of the world.
Percept: International Law is a joke.
"International Law." Every time I hear someone from the US say those words, I want to choke the living shit out of them. Since when does the US give a shite about international law? We just pulled out of the whole World Court situation because we don't want our servicemen accountable to the Court, despite assurances in the court's charter that normal actions in war aren't considered within the court's purview. But the first time some guy from the middle east does anything wrong, we're all over him like flies on elephant dung, pointing fingers at him and yelling "International law violation! Off with 'is 'ead!"
The concept of international law will remain a joke until we do one or more of the following:
1) Give the UN actual, autonomous enforcement power with rights to intervene on any soil, even our own, if there is a violation.
2) Convince the US Citizenry -- and our leaders -- that the days of standing alone are over.
3) Create a true United Earth Government. Maybe something like this: Within its own borders, each nation is autonomous, so long as certain basic rights are recognised and supported -- the right to free speech, peacable demonstration, etc. But interactions between nation-states is under the purview of the allied Earth Government, which has a senate composed of ambassadors from each nation (number based on population density? Not sure how that would best be accomplished), a president, etc. The Earth president would have power to act in the name of Earth in any future dealings with aliens, but otherwise would be basically an administrator.
Ok, look, I'm not a political science major, so I'm sure there are aspects of this that would never work. But the core idea is valid, IMHO.
Bottom Line: We cannot bitch about violations of international law by other nations until we comply with said laws ourselves. Piecemeal doesn't do it, we need to abide by them completely.
Percept: International Law is a joke.
"International Law." Every time I hear someone from the US say those words, I want to choke the living shit out of them. Since when does the US give a shite about international law? We just pulled out of the whole World Court situation because we don't want our servicemen accountable to the Court, despite assurances in the court's charter that normal actions in war aren't considered within the court's purview. But the first time some guy from the middle east does anything wrong, we're all over him like flies on elephant dung, pointing fingers at him and yelling "International law violation! Off with 'is 'ead!"
The concept of international law will remain a joke until we do one or more of the following:
1) Give the UN actual, autonomous enforcement power with rights to intervene on any soil, even our own, if there is a violation.
2) Convince the US Citizenry -- and our leaders -- that the days of standing alone are over.
3) Create a true United Earth Government. Maybe something like this: Within its own borders, each nation is autonomous, so long as certain basic rights are recognised and supported -- the right to free speech, peacable demonstration, etc. But interactions between nation-states is under the purview of the allied Earth Government, which has a senate composed of ambassadors from each nation (number based on population density? Not sure how that would best be accomplished), a president, etc. The Earth president would have power to act in the name of Earth in any future dealings with aliens, but otherwise would be basically an administrator.
Ok, look, I'm not a political science major, so I'm sure there are aspects of this that would never work. But the core idea is valid, IMHO.
Bottom Line: We cannot bitch about violations of international law by other nations until we comply with said laws ourselves. Piecemeal doesn't do it, we need to abide by them completely.