Kudos
Reader comment on item: America the unpopular

Submitted by Peter J. Herz (Taiwan), Nov 5, 2003 at 23:23

Kudos. But the administration could have done a few things to sell its position. On the International Criminal Court, it could have pointed out that the genius of the American system of government has been its system of checks and balances, and that the US is uncomfortable with a "world constitution" that establishes judicial supremacy with no exectuive or legislative balance. It could also point out that a loopy Supreme Court decision (Sanford vs. Scott, 1857), plunged us into our bloodiest war ever--with ourselves--even if it was impeccably crafted according to the then-contemporary standards of constitutional jurisprudence.

In addition, even in this era when we have all but outlawed racism, it is still possible for an uinchecked center of power to overreach itself. On the Kyoto Agreement, it could have pointed out that the whole thing unfairly penalized countries which already have extensive environmental protections in place. Having lived in China, I will also add that few other countries have done as much environmental damage to itself--even under Mao's period of supposed "peasant" [but directed by 150% bourgeois pseudo-intellectuals claiming to be "peasant revolutionaries"].

Hence, my pro-Bush stance.

BUT! An important part of our North Atlantic culture's political quest has been the prevention of the abuse of power. Globally, this requires the US to show that it is capable of great self-restraint. Here is where the administration ought to meet the critics halfway.

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