American opinion on international law | 41 comments (41 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: American opinion on international law (none / 0)

This continues to baffle me. I've never signed on to any agreement with my government, but I'm beholden to the law nevertheless. If anyone can just choose to be beholden to the law or not, the law isn't really law at all, but some kind of gentleman's agreement. Which is hardly any way to go about ensuring the rights of the citiens of the world. And then how is the ICC legitimate if there are no legitimate international laws?

Drives me crazy.

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

by p------- on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 12:25:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: American opinion on international law (none / 0)

I've never signed on to any agreement with my government, but I'm beholden to the law nevertheless.

I partly agree but largely disagree. Unless we agree to hand over our right to make our own laws to another body is certain cases, then we should be under no obligation to follow laws we have not signed on to. I've never read the laws, but I'm assuming that there is no law allowing an international organization to force us to accept an institution like the ICC. The correct analogy is not "My Government and I" but "My Neighbor and I". Imagine your neighbor suddenly saying to you, out of the blue, "Hey, pal, your lawn is 3/4s of an inch too long. Fix it." You wouldn't take him seriously and would probably tell him, "It's my lawn, jackass. Piss off." And you would be right to do so.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 01:11:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: American opinion on international law (none / 1)

Imagine your neighbor suddenly saying to you, out of the blue, "Hey, pal, your lawn is 3/4s of an inch too long. Fix it." You wouldn't take him seriously and would probably tell him, "It's my lawn, jackass. Piss off." And you would be right to do so.

You have obviously never had to deal with city planners.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 01:15:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: American opinion on international law (none / 0)

As someone who lives in a second-floor apartment, I don't have a lawn, so it's a non-issue. But, yes, there are plenty of other issues we could dive into wth my analogy.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 01:19:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

American opinion on international law | 41 comments (41 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Top Diaries

Ireland 2023 Rugby World Cup Squad selected

Integrating Ukraine Into NATO Family

Leinster's demise and Munster's hope

Southern Irish disinterest in Northern Ireland affairs

The end is Nigh?

Joe Biden. America's Interventionist Hero

Recent Diaries

NATO Posing the What If Question

Bi-Partisan Effort to Undermine Democracy

June 2023

Ireland 2023 Rugby World Cup Squad selected

Integrating Ukraine Into NATO Family

Southern Irish disinterest in Northern Ireland affairs

Incident Ukrainian War Display Gets Int'l Attention

German Climate Activists Group Outlawed

Leinster's demise and Munster's hope

Joe Biden. America's Interventionist Hero

Targeted Assassinations: a Bankrupt Strategy

The end is Nigh?

Hijacking Peace by Zelensky for War Escalation

UA Drone Attack On Moscow

May 2023

US Provoked Conflict In Europe

U.S. Will Be Ousted From Middle-East

Settler Extremism Blessed by Jerusalem Leaders

Occasional Series