Erna Paris, in the book The Sun Climbs Slow: Justice in the Age of Imperial America investigates the refusal by the United States of America to comply with the international law. More specifically, the book looks into the elaborate history of global justice and the politics played in order for America to oppose the establishment of as permanent international criminal court and the implications to the entire world . The resistance by the United States to the establishment of the International Criminal Court came both as a surprise and a disappointment to many people and groups. Given the dominance the United States in world affairs, most justice groups and organizations championing for human rights from around the world, including the United States, became critical about the decision.
Despite the United States having signed up to the Rome statute that established the International Criminal Court in 2000, the administration of the then president George Bush unsigned the statute in 2002. Since then, the United States has continued to pressure other countries into signing agreements forbidding them from surrendering citizens of the United States to the International Criminal Court. The United States even threatened to use force, including military force in the event that any of its citizens are held at the court1. Erna Paris attempts to explore why The United States, a country known to be vocal in matters relating to human rights would refuse to protect human rights by not signing up to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court.
[...] The treaty that set up the International Criminal Court categorized as war crimes acts of forced pregnancy, rape, torture and forceful recruitment of child soldiers. The United States objected this inclusion and suggested that the court should only concern itself with genocide cases. The United States, being a large military and economic power, is expected to intervene in catastrophes of humanitarian consequences. This particularly makes citizens and officials of the United States vulnerable to arrests and trials by the International criminal Court in cases of humanitarian crises. [...]
[...] Some of the political reasons given included the American military security. Security agencies particularly favored the war with the police favoring it to expand its power while the military industries expanded profits by providing the weaponry. The United States had the opportunity to test some of its military wares in the war. Another political reason by the Bush's administration was the promotion of the neoconservative ideology. This is the belief in America's superiority over other countries which reportedly give the American government the obligation and the right to impose its hegemony on the other countries throughout the world. [...]
[...] The atrocities are viewed as nefarious while the victims receive too much focus, displays of solidarity and sympathy. In such a situation, the United States has the tendency to call for immediate inquiry into the crimes and insists on punishment of the perceived enemy. The United States reportedly imposes its power on the United Nations and the European Union who follow suit in supporting the genocide claims against its enemies. The influence is noticeable among the intellectuals and the media who inflate the nefarious bloodbaths in the politics of genocide while at the same time selectively ignore or underplay anything benign or constructive in the situation[3]. [...]
[...] Marjorie Kohn outlines the other reasons in which the bush administration defied the law as torture of prisoners suspected of committing terrorism acts, willful killing and summary execution of suspects without trial and the refusal by the president to ensure execution of the law. Marjorie Kohn also explains what would have been done to remedy the statutory breaches of the bush's administration. The remedies include international law, constitutional, political and legal remedies. The book, The Politics of Genocide, explains that it is possible to determine the friends and enemies of the United States by examining how the word genocide is used by media. [...]
[...] However, he received support for being friendly to world powers3. Bibliography Cohn Maorie. Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law. San Diego: PoliPointPress Herman Edward and Peterson, David. The Politics of Genocide. New York: Monthly Review Press Paris Erna. The Sun Climbs Slow: Justice in the Age of Imperial America. New York: A.A. Knopf Paris Erna. The Sun Climbs Slow: Justice in the Age of Imperial America. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
