The problem is that the US is the only country which can exercise force sufficient to enforce international law and order.
I see where you are coming from. However, it seems to me that you are assuming that this only superpower is and will always be fair and benevolent. Therefore, it is OK to give unchecked rule to this superpower.
Please consider that this assumption does not come so naturally to most people on this planet, namely, non-Americans who naturally do not share your confidence in the selfless benevolence of your country.
The other nations in the international coalition combined would not and probably could not have liberated Kuwait by themselves.
You are exaggerating. All other countries on earth (incl. Russia, China, etc) could not have bested Saddam if they wanted to?
Should the US not have a pre-eminent leadership role given the military facts of life?
You are saying "US is strongest, so it should lead uncontestably", which sounds very much like "Might makes right". It seems you are arguing for "the empire that rules by force" rather than "the republic that leads by example" that was the US up until about a year ago.
Is this correct? If so, I would be interested to discuss this with you in terms of long term prospects and desirability for both Americans and the rest of the world.
And BTW the whole world is actually pretty damn lucky that is the case.
That is what most thought, including me, until we met the bullying ways of the current administration. Now we don't feel so "pretty damn lucky" and are frankly quite worried.
The reality is the UN is something the US created.
You might need a reality check at this point. US was one of the creators the UN. There were others, who hold veto powers at this point.
I'm not entirely sure it was a good idea. It seems to lead people to think unrealistically.
As in, they try to think for themselves rather than bow to the power of the US?
Law and order within a country exist only because someone enforces it. And the same thing is true on an international level.
What we call "international law" is basically the rules that were accepted by international community in the form of customary law, international agreements, and general principles common to major legal systems.
So international law exists, because all countries agree to abide by these rules. This is the way republics have found to live with each other, on the premise that "might does not make right". |
