Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: We don't need enemies. Message-ID: <1465@dciem.UUCP> Date: Sun, 17-Mar-85 18:05:08 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.1465 Posted: Sun Mar 17 18:05:08 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 17-Mar-85 19:47:05 EST References: Reply-To: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 35 Summary: > If I'm incorrect about the jurisdiction of the World Court, let me offer >another example. The US Senate has not yet ratified the so-called Genocide >Convention because of the exact same premise. This convention also contains >provisions that would force the extradition of US nationals to foreign >courts for prosecution if certain "offenses" were to be committed. Isn't that better than the US practice of kidnapping non-US citizens to stand trial in US courts? Or of trying non-US companies in absentia for not obeying US laws in countries where to obey the US law would be illegal? The current US practice seems to be "US law applies everywhere we want it to. Other people's laws don't apply in their own countries if we don't want them to." Surely agreement by treaty is better than these bully-boy tactics? Reciprocity in international relations is more than just courtesy. The United Nations has never been seen as a place to supercede national governments or laws, but it is a place where they can talk together, and with luck work together to make the world a better place. Over the decades (or centuries, if we are so lucky), it just might become a world forum with some authority to back up its decisions (e.g. a standing peace-keeping force that could break up little quarrels among neighbours, or that could go and reinforce the troops of a country being invaded). Actually, I suppose the dream of all mankind would at heart be that the world COULD be made one United Nation -- and the lion shall lie down with the lamb, and all that. National chauvinism is unfortunately only one of the reasons it probably won't happen for a long time, if ever. -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsri!dciem!mmt