Preacher
Swabbie
Banned
Not EVEN, dude....
"International law" is personified by the UN. We do not ignore international law; we bypass the others (read: everyone at the UN) when THEY ignore it. If the UN are too wussily impotent and gutless, and they don't have the giblets to enforce this "International law", then WE will. It's like I said last time.
There's a saying from the WWII era, I think (wish I could remember who said it--?Bonhoeffer, maybe): "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".
I'm not sure anymore how "good" the UN is, but they are, in any event, doing nothing (unless empty words constitute "something", and where I come from, they don't). Therefore, the US had to step up to the plate and take on this evil. Who's always the first to respond with massive aid to any international crisis (Earthquakes/famines/etc.), to UN peacekeeping missions, and the like?... That's right, its the US. Who foots most of the UN's bills, and provides most of its other resources (like, say, manpower) as well? Same answer. Who is it that the world looks to to be its (pretty much *only*) "International policeman"; in short, "Who Da Man"?... Same answer again. Do you see a pattern here?...
I'm not blind to my country's faults; I have watched w/ considerable sadness as my nation has descended down the slippery slope of corruption, greed, and moral relativism just over the few decades I've been planetside. Nonetheless, for all our faults, we are still the greatest nation on earth, and to quote DeToquville (a frenchman, BTW): "America is great because America is good; When they cease to be good, they will cease to be great". We may not be as "good" as we once were, but we have still enough good left in us that all the things I said above are true. When we no longer do the sorts of things I touched on above, then you may freely lampoon us to your hearts content. Until then though, just get outta the way and let us do our job (unless of course you feel up to *joining* alongside us in the work, which so far only the Aussies and Brits --and a few other smaller nations, have seen fit to do. Shame on the rest of y'all)...
::knocks head against brick wall a few times, then composes himself::
Again, "looks" don't make a rat's ass worth of difference (politics or not) if the basic question is what's right vs. what's wrong. If you are willing to let appearances govern your response, then you are playing situational ethics, and you become part of the problem, not part of the solution.
And so what if we "look" weak? everybody knows we are the only remaining superpower, and thus are anything BUT weak... The main reason we are any kind of target is not weakness, but the opposite: Everyone is somewhat jealous of the biggest kid on the playground, and all the other kids fantasize about taking him down. Ironically, when we are targeted (as on 9-11), it only makes us stronger. Bin Ladin thought he would cripple America with his tactics, but he only succeeded in making us stronger, and drawing us together as a people (not to mention pissing us off)...
