Why Doesn't International Law Apply To The West?
Summary
TLDRThe video script critiques the selective enforcement of international law, highlighting the United States and its allies' manipulation of institutions like the UN and ICC to evade accountability. It discusses the historical reinforcement of colonial and neocolonial dominance through international law, the disproportionate focus on African leaders by the ICC, and the lack of action against Western leaders. The script also addresses the political influence and veto power of the UN Security Council, which undermines the ICC's effectiveness and impartiality, perpetuating global inequality and encouraging further violations of international norms.
Takeaways
- 😔 International law is criticized for being weak and ineffective, partly due to manipulation by powerful nations like the United States and its allies.
- 🏛 The UN and the ICC are established to uphold global peace and justice, but their enforcement often shows a divide between their goals and reality.
- 🛡️ The US uses its political and economic influence to shield itself and its allies from international scrutiny and consequences, as seen with the ICC's arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
- 🌍 The origin and role of international law have historically reinforced colonial and neocolonial dominance, rather than promoting global justice.
- 📜 The selective application of international law and structural limitations of bodies like the UN and ICC make them tools of neocolonial rule rather than impartial arbiters of justice.
- 📊 The ICC has been criticized for focusing predominantly on African leaders while ignoring crimes by Western leaders or their allies, raising questions about its impartiality.
- 🛑 The US and its allies have used their power to block the ICC from pursuing justice in cases that involve them, such as the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes.
- 💥 The US has been implicated in numerous war crimes, including in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, yet remains unaccountable on the global stage.
- 🚫 The ICC's reliance on state cooperation and the principle of complementarity limit its ability to enforce its warrants and conduct investigations, especially when powerful nations refuse to cooperate.
- 🔒 The UN Security Council's influence, particularly the veto power of its permanent members, undermines the ICC's effectiveness and ability to hold powerful nations accountable.
- 🌐 The manipulation of international politics by powerful nations, including economic and diplomatic pressure, ensures that international bodies cannot function impartially.
Q & A
Why has international law been criticized as weak and ineffective?
-International law has been criticized for being weak and ineffective because it is often manipulated by powerful nations like the United States and its allies to evade accountability and further their own interests, as seen in the case of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants against Israeli officials being ignored and denounced by the US.
What is the primary mission of the United Nations (UN) as stated in its Charter?
-The primary mission of the UN, as stated in its Charter, is to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, and foster social and economic development.
When was the International Criminal Court (ICC) established, and what is its purpose?
-The ICC was established in 2002 as the international court that prosecutes individuals for crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
Outlines
🏛️ International Law and Its Selective Enforcement
This paragraph discusses the perception of international law as weak due to its selective application, particularly by the United States and its allies. It highlights the manipulation of international institutions like the UN and the ICC for political interests, using the example of Israel ignoring ICC orders with US support. The paragraph sets the stage for an exploration of international law's origins, role, and its reinforcement of colonial and neocolonial dominance. It also mentions the sponsor Aura, emphasizing privacy protection in the digital age.
🔍 The Biases and Limitations of International Courts
The second paragraph delves into the establishment and purpose of the UN and ICC, highlighting their missions to maintain peace, promote human rights, and prosecute severe crimes. It criticizes the UN's and ICC's track records, pointing out the US's resistance to the ICC and its use of political and economic power to shield itself and allies from international consequences. The paragraph also underscores the selective enforcement of international law, focusing on African leaders while ignoring Western ones, and the political realities that shape the application of international law.
🌍 The Impact of Political Influence on International Justice
The final paragraph examines the structural limitations and political influence on the ICC, which lacks its own enforcement mechanisms and relies on state cooperation. It discusses the principle of complementarity and the Rome Statute's provisions that limit the ICC's reach. The paragraph also addresses the UN Security Council's influence, the use of veto power to shield nations from accountability, and the broader political manipulation that undermines the ICC's impartiality and effectiveness. It concludes by reflecting on the systemic failures of the current international law system, as evidenced by the inability to prosecute US and Israeli officials for war crimes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡International Law
💡United Nations (UN)
💡International Criminal Court (ICC)
Highlights
International law is often criticized for being weak and ineffective due to manipulation by powerful nations like the United States and its allies.
The United States and allies use international institutions such as the UN and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to evade accountability and further their interests.
Israel ignored ICC arrest warrants and continued its attacks, with support from the US, showcasing the selective application of international law.
The UN and ICC were established to uphold global peace and justice, but their enforcement records reveal a divide between their goals and reality.
The US leverages its political and economic influence to shield itself and its allies from international scrutiny and consequences.
International law has historically reinforced colonial and neocolonial dominance, with legal frameworks used to legitimize control over territories.
The ICC, established in 2002, represents a significant step forward in the quest for global justice but has faced resistance from powerful nations, particularly the United States.
The American Servicemembers' Protection Act authorizes the use of military force to free any US personnel detained by the ICC.
The creation of the ICC was more about maintaining a world order dominated by Western powers than promoting global justice.
The ICC's selective enforcement of international law has been a hallmark of its operation, focusing predominantly on African leaders while ignoring Western leaders.
The principle of complementarity underpins the ICC's jurisdiction, allowing it to prosecute only when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so.
The US and its allies can refuse to cooperate with the ICC, which lacks its own enforcement mechanisms and relies on member states for arrests and evidence collection.
The UN Security Council's influence over the ICC limits the court's effectiveness and undermines its ability to function as an impartial judicial body.
Economic and diplomatic power are used by countries like the US to sway other nations and international bodies, often to dissuade support for actions that might hold the US or its allies accountable.
The selective enforcement of international law undermines the core principles of justice and equality that institutions like the UN and the ICC were founded upon.
The inability of the ICC to prosecute US and Israeli officials despite clear evidence of war crimes exemplifies the systemic failures in the current system of international law.
The promise of true justice will remain unfulfilled as long as the US and its allies continue to evade accountability.
Transcripts
[Music]
international law has been ridiculed
recently as being weak and ineffective
because it has been but why is that in
part it's because the United States and
its allies manipulate institutions like
the UN and the international criminal
court to evade accountability and
further their own interests when the I
issued arrest warrants against Israeli
officials and demanded the operation in
Rafa end immediately Israel ignored the
order intensified its attacks and Joe
Biden provided a swift denunciation of
the Court's orders providing all the
cover they needed this reaction is
indicative of a recurring theme The
Selective application of international
law while institutions like the UN and
the ICC were nominally established to
uphold Global Peace and Justice their
track records reveal a stark divide
between their lofty goals and the
reality of their enforcement the US
leverages its political and economic
clout to consistently Shield itself and
its allies from International scrutiny
and more importantly
[Music]
consequences in this episode we'll
explore the origin and role of
international law and demonstrate how
it's historically reinforced Colonial
and neocolonial dominants but before we
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below the United Nations and the
international criminal court claim to
exist for the cause of real Justice the
UN was founded in 1945 with the primary
mission of maintaining International
Peace and security promoting human
rights and fostering social and economic
development not doing great so far on
those fronts its Charter aimed to
prevent the kind of catastrophic
conflict that had devastated the world
twice in less than half a century or
what's happening now in Ukraine and
Palestine see what I mean about that
track record the ICC a product of the
Rome statute wasn't established until
2002 and is the first permanent
International Court capable of
Prosecuting individuals for genocide
crimes against humanity and war crimes
the Rome statute was adopted in 1998 and
by July 1st 2002 it had come into force
with the ratification of 60 countries
the ICC represented a significant step
forward in the global Quest For Justice
providing a permanent judicial body to
address the most egregious violations of
international law the adoption of the
Rome statute and establishment of the
ICC were met with resistance from
powerful Nations particularly the United
States the so-called American Service
members protection act of 202 also known
as the hag Invasion act authorizes the
use of military force to free any us
Personnel detained by the IC which
should show you how far the US is
willing to go to protect its war
criminals from accountability and as we
delve deeper into the history and roles
of these institutions it should become
clear that their creation was much more
about maintaining a world order
dominated by Western Powers than it was
about promoting Global Justice The
Selective application of international
law and the structural limitations of
these bodies have made them little more
than tools of neocolonial rule rather
than impartial Arbiters of Justice
during the colonial era Western powers
used legal Frameworks to legitimize
their control over vast territories in
Africa Asia and the Americas Concepts
such as tanelus or land belonging to no
one and the doctrine of Discovery were
employed to justify the appropriation of
lands and the subjugation of indigenous
populations these legal doctrines
allowed Colonial powers to establish and
maintain their Empires under the guise
of bringing civilization to uncivilized
parts of the world even after the end of
so-called former colonialism the legacy
of these legal principles has persisted
newly independent states were integrated
into an international system that had
been shaped by and for the benefit of
their former
colonizers unfortunately the ICC
provides a clear example of the
selective enforcement of international
law which has been a Hallmark of its
operation since its establishment it is
predominantly focused on African Leaders
with cases involving sudin president
Omar Al basher Kenyan Deputy President
William Ruto and Ugandan warlord Joseph
Cony among others and while yes these
prosecutions are important the glaring
absence of cases against Western leaders
or their allies raises questions about
the impartiality of the Court especially
given the extent and severity of the
crimes committed by Western regimes this
isn't a coincidence it reflects the
political realities that shape
international law and is exemplified by
a recent interaction between ICC
prosecutor Kareem Khan and a senior
elected leader leader where they said to
khote the international criminal court
is built for Africa and for thugs like
Putin clearly implying that there are
whole groups of countries that shouldn't
be subject to the scrutiny of the Court
speaking of Putin let's take a look at
what Joe Biden and other Western
officials said about the ICC issuing an
arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for
war crimes the truth of the matter is
saw what happened to bu this warrants
him he is a war criminal we have to
gather all the detail so this can be a
actual have a war crime trial in a
nutshell it's Justified can't get much
clearer than that in addition to Biden's
condemnation of the warrants against
Israeli officials members of his
administration and Congress have also
weighed in they want to sanction the ICC
you heard that right Republican Senators
have threatened severe sanctions against
the international criminal court if it
proceeds with legal action against
Israel Secretary of State Anthony
blinkin approves of this effort telling
Senator Lindsey Graham that he welcomed
the opportunity to work on a bipartisan
effort to sanction the ICC to quote
protect us interests these people aren't
even trying to hide it anymore and
because the US has its back Israel's
actions in Gaza and the West Bank will
continue to escape International legal
consequences despite overwhelming
evidence of genocide human rights abuses
and severe violations of international
law the Israeli genocide of Palestine is
the clearest example in modern history
just search the word Palestine on
Twitter or Telegram and you'll find
thousands of videos of children being
blown to Pieces hospitals and places of
worship being leveled and IDF soldiers
bragging about their war crimes the
West's actions to block the ICC from
pursuing Justice in this case while
advocating for Action when it benefits
them geopolitically has prompted the
question what good are these
institutions if the US and its lackeys
can flaunt International Law at
will examining specific cases like the
horrific us war crimes in Vietnam
provides further insight into this
selective application extensive
atrocities committed during the war
including the mili Massacre the
widespread use of defoliant and
operation Speedy Express are serious
despicable war crimes that have gone
completely unpunished despite being
extremely clear violations of
international law the myi massacre
perhaps the most infamous crime was the
wholesale Slaughter of over 500
Vietnamese civilians including women
children and the elderly by American
soldiers and this massacre was not an
isolated incident but part of a broader
pattern of systemic violence and
disregard for human life the US
military's use of defoliant like agent
orange caused long-term environmental
damage and severe health problems for
millions of Vietnamese the bombing
campaigns particularly Operation Rolling
Thunder resulted in massive civilian
casualties and destruction of
infrastructure operation Speedy Express
one of the deadliest single operations
of the war led to the deaths of at least
seven 7,000 civilians under the guise of
targeting North Vietnamese Fighters and
this impunity enjoyed by the US extends
beyond the Vietnam War into more recent
military actions the wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq have similarly been marked by
significant civilian casualties and war
crimes the use of drone strikes in
countries like Pakistan Yemen and
Somalia has resulted in scores of
Civilian deaths with little to no
transparency or accountability these
actions Justified under the vague Banner
of counterterrorism have drawn Fierce
criticism from international human
rights organizations and yet the US
remains completely unaccountable on the
global stage even more recently Israel's
actions in Gaza and the West Bank
provide another Stark example of the
unequal application of international law
since its Inception Israel has been
rightly accused of literally thousands
of human rights violations including the
disproportionate use of force against
civilians the destruction of Palestinian
homes and the blockade of Gaza which has
led to severe humanitarian crises of
course all these crimes are being
committed in service of a full-blown
genocide but each are crimes in their
own right despite these obvious and
flagrant violations of international law
and basic human decency Israel has yet
to face any International legal
consequences the US continues to use its
political and economic influence to
Shield Israel from accountability
vetoing multiple un Security Council
resolutions aimed at condemning Israeli
crimes or taking action to stop them and
they've done this while simultaneously
pretending that there is no genocide and
that even if there was Israel has the
right to quote defend itself by
obliterating an entire history culture
and
[Applause]
people the ICC relies on state
cooperation to enforce its warrants and
conduct
investigations however Nations like the
US and its allies can simply refuse to
cooperate the ICC does not have its own
enforcement mechanisms and its Reliance
on memb States for arrests and evidence
collection makes it vulnerable to
exactly this kind of non-compliance
what's more the principle of
complimentarity which underpins the
icc's jurisdiction states that the ICC
can only prosecute when National courts
are unwilling or unable to do so Nations
often claim jurisdiction over their own
Personnel conducting internal
investigations that frequently result in
little to no accountability these
internal investigations often lack
transparency and Independence serving
more as a means to Plate International
demands than to deliver Justice the Rome
statute itself which established the IC
contains Provisions that limit its reach
for instance article 98 prevents the ICC
from requesting the surrender of a
person from a state if it would require
that state to act inconsistently with
its International obligations this
provision has been used by the US to
secure bilateral immunity agreements
with several countries ensuring that us
Nationals cannot be handed over to the
ICC one of the primary reasons
International courts like the ICC failed
to hold the US and its allies
accountable is the significant political
influence they wield the permanent
members of the UN Security Council the
US UK France Russia and China hold veto
power given that three of these
countries are close allies it allows
them to block any actions that may
threaten their interests this veto power
has been used repeatedly to Shield
nations from accountability this was
evident when the US pressured other
Security Council Members to block any
attempts to refer its actions in
Afghanistan to the IC the security
council's influence over the ICC not
only limits the Court's Effectiveness
but also undermines it the ability of
powerful Nations to block referrals and
influence investigations demonstrates
that the ICC is a tool of political
power rather than an impartial judicial
body this erodes trust in the ICC and
discourages cooperation from other
nations further weakening its ability to
enforce international law and the
influence of these nations extends far
beyond the security Council countries
like the US leverage their economic and
diplomatic power to sway other nations
and international bodies with threats of
sanctions withdrawal of Aid or
diplomatic isolation often used to
dissuade countries from supporting
actions that might hold the us or its
allies accountable their manipulation of
international politics ensures that the
ICC and other International bodies
cannot function impartially or in some
cases function at all despite the
admirable goal of bringing Justice to
the world these International organs
have instead brought western style Law
and Order that means the entire world is
divided into two groups those allowed to
break the rules and those subject to the
consequences The Selective enforcement
that results from this world order
undermines the core principles of
justice and equality that institutions
like the UN and the ICC were supposedly
founded upon by investigating examples
such as the Vietnam War and Israel's
genocide in Gaza it becomes evident that
international law is often manipulated
to serve the interest of the powerful
while underdeveloped States bear the
brunt of enforcement this disparity not
only erodes trust in international
institutions but also perpetuates global
inequality and encourages further
violations of international Norms the
inability of the I to prosecute us and
Israeli officials despite clear evidence
of war crimes exemplifies the systemic
failures that plague our current system
of international law the promise of True
Justice will remain unfulfilled as long
as the US us and its allies continue to
evade
[Music]
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