From: Gene McAloon 

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 02:10:09 -0700, Randall Parker
 wrote:

>So then why don't you also have contempt for the French for violating
>international law? They go into African countries with no UN mandate.

Silly stuff. In every case the French were invited in by the governments to help
quell rebellions. No UN mandate is required for that.
>
>And why no contempt for the US when the US did airstrikes against the
>Serbs without UN mandate? I mean, there was the US and its NATO allies
>carrying on like the UN didn't matter. All of them flaunting
>international law in the Balkans. Oh the outrage.

Indeed the outrage, of which there was plenty.  That war was clearly a violation
not only of international law, but of the NATO Charter as well. So
widespread was the outrage that Washington hurriedly produced the
"humanitarian" excuse to justify what it was doing.
>
>Where you are just plain hallucinating is by imagining there really is
>some well defined body of international law. On top of the hallucination
>you go applying it incredibly selectively (basically whenever a
>Republican US President does something you don't approve of) while being
>totally oblivious to your own double standard.

It was Clinton in the Balkans, a Democrat. At that, unlike the stupid Bush,
Clinton had better sense than to try to get a mandate from the UN. He used
NATO instead. Bush was so reviled not only because he was dumb enough to
think he could get UN approval, but lied consistently about the need to war
against Iraq.
Lies so palpable he couldn't get even the necessary majority of the
Security Council to support his proposal and consistently lied about that
too, claiming the only reason he didn't introduce his resolution was
because the French would veto it.

Publics and foreign governments will overlook a lot, but not blatant
stupidity, brazen bullying and constant lying. Even the American public,
finally getting over the trauma of 9/11, is now awakening to the kind of
son of bitch they have in the White House.

I predicted the demise of the far-right many years ago and now see the
instrument of that demise, the contemptible jerk in the White House.
>
>Phil Payne wrote:
>
>> http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/31010NSCOTUS-GUANTANAMO.html
>>
>> "The perception of this case abroad - that the power of the
United States
>> can be exercised outside the law - will diminish our stature and
repute,"
>> said a brief filed by 19 former diplomats. "Our most
important diplomatic
>> asset has been this nation's values."
>>
>> Ain't got nothin' to do with "perceptions", old son. 
The facts speak for
>> themselves - the USA now ignores international law whenever it suits US
>> interests - period.
>>
>> And then expects other to abide by it.
>>
>> Americans are already reviled in many countries, and that includes some
>> people in the UK.  I know of several regulars of my local pub who have only
>> contempt for Americans.
>>

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