can someone give me a plausible explanation for why the US has immunity from...

[smallmovesal]

the global criminal court?

i think the US rationale for needing exemption is total BS... everyone should be judged equally and they're essentially now the only country "above the law".

 

[DICK_IN_ASS_TIMOTHY]

The ICC is ridiculous. It's like the UN. Any undemocratic terrorism-supporting nation can get its way. Do you know that SUDAN is on the UN council for human rights! Sudan. The UN is a joke. The ICC is a joke. We can try our people just fine within our borders and so can everyone else.

 

[Doktor Bollix]

You mean the International Court of Justice, of the United Nations? We blow them off all the time when they say things we don't agree with.

 

[thx9000]

Because the US has the political and financial clout to dictate the rules of her engagement in international affairs. End of story.

 

[Lao Tzu]

Smalls - Who is that in your avatar, Raina? You look sick (not socially sick, but physically sick) in your avatar. Are you?

Anyway, America is threatening to veto all peacekeeping resolutions at the security council, and it is better to let peacekeepers do their duty and let the court function properly than throw it all away for principle. The chances that American peacekeepers do anything criminal is slim to nil anyway. It isn't really that important, but it devalues the ICC, Americas image, our relationship with our allies & the Security Council.

DICK_IN_ASS_TIMOTHY - yes the council of human rights is a joke, it has been taken over by countries looking to protect themselves from scrutiny like sudan. I can't argue with that.

http://www.hrw.org/editorials/2001/roth0417.htm

As far as the ICC, a case must be justified in the eyes of 3 independent judges in order to proceed. It isn't like Iraq can just accuse america of a crime, then america has to defend itself.

The UN is not a joke, neither is the ICC. I could explain it but it would take 1/2 an hour and your opinion wouldn't change anyway so i won't.

Doktor Bollix - No, the International Criminal Court. It is different from the WCJ.

 

[chesty]

Because we should never be subject to a court who principles and ideas of freedom are radically different than ours. Because are young men and woman who are helping the world when ordered to serve with the UN (a bullshit group in the first place) would get hung out to dry by this court whenever somone didn't like what the UN did. Have you noticed that every problem in the world is almost always blamed on us, the US? Have you noticed that when the UN screws up it is really the US's fault?

And if nothing else because we are subject to no one but our own Constitution and the laws of this land. And if Bush allows are young men and women to be subject to this court he will never get re-elected and I will have lost faith in those who are barking the orders. Because I am one in that group of young men and women who could find themselves helping the UN and I don't want to end up in some bullshit kangaroo court because I did my job the way I was trained and it didn't fit in with the ideas of some communist third world, backwater dump like kosovo or kirsk or whatever.

 

[Longhorn85]

Because the US has the political and financial clout to dictate the rules of her engagement in international affairs. End of story.

That is correct. Add to that moral authority. If you want help from the US, don't subject us to the kangaroo court. If you can make it happen without our help, then more power to you. If we pull out of the UN, they would go bankrupt in terms of resources and effectiveness in a matter of months.

 

[chesty]

Remember back a few years ago when the UN took it upon themselves to inject their "unwanted" help. I forget the country. But I do remember that they were gettin their asses kicked and begged us to come help them. They said that if we did not come and help them and they had to retreat, they would be defeated and the UN would no longer be in existence. We eventually caved in and helped them (thanks Clinton). So you see, the UN is really the US. We run the show and the UN should never, ever forget that.

 

[CAGED whiteman]

because we can

 

[thx9000]

Remember back a few years ago when the UN took it upon themselves to inject their "unwanted" help. I forget the country. But I do remember that they were gettin their asses kicked and begged us to come help them. They said that if we did not come and help them and they had to retreat, they would be defeated and the UN would no longer be in existence. We eventually caved in and helped them (thanks Clinton). So you see, the UN is really the US. We run the show and the UN should never, ever forget that.

UN, IMF, etc all extensions of US power. I can understand the complaints that the US acts as an International bully. I understand, but I don't sympathize. In the end it comes down to one thing: we're the world's largest economy, 3X greater than the world's 2nd largest (Japan), it's OUR money we can dictate how it is used. I am not trying to sound condescending to our international friends; I’ve traveled all over the world and have a great deal of respect for foreign cultures and people, often they have a richness that we, as such a young nation, lack. But, it really is OUR money if other governments (not necessarily the people) prostitute themselves, well….