US threatens new ICC sanctions unless court pledges not to prosecute Trump

reuters.com

50 points·jeroenhd··6 comments

Wow, this is the most overt "Might Makes Right" thing I've seen in the modern era.

As a kid reading sci-fi, I was always amused by all those futuristic societies acting like medieval empires; I'm not amused any more.

Well America also produced that other chap who said - "Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it" and he won - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Union_speech

We are not party to the Rome Statute. The US is not going to answer to any foreign power asserting jurisdiction, and that’s just how it will be.

That's absolutely cool, but if it's not going to answer to the court anyway, then why does the administration "wants the International Criminal Court to amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate the Republican president and his top officials"? Isn't this demand actually giving unexpected legitimacy to the ICC?

> "There is growing concern ... that in 2029 the ICC will turn its attention to the president, to the vice president, to the secretary of war and others, and pursue prosecutions against them," the Trump administration official said.

Rodrigo Duterte is currently on trial[0] for his murderous war on suspected drug dealers (and users). [1] Warrant (PDF) for murder, torture and rape.

The U.S. is also demanding charges be dropped against Netanyahu and others.

I'd say it's less "Might Makes Right" as refusal to take responsibility for actions.

Saint Peter might be assigned the case by 2029.

[0] https://www.icc-cpi.int/victims/duterte-case

[1] https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/CourtRecords/090...

https://archive.ph/7gYdi

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