After the Second World War the United Nations (and the related human rights laws) arose out of the efforts of the United States’ leadership, yet, the United States government used the system when it suited it and discarded it when it did not. It may not be an exaggeration to suggest that it is the United States which has violated international law more often than any other democratic country; it has used its veto power in the United Nations often for defending its allies who have abrogated international law with vengeance. The United States government has committed crime against humanity on a large scale and assisted or condoned similar acts by its own allies. Some of the violation of international law and crimes against humanity were committed while Dr. Kissinger was in-charge of the American foreign policy. I am sure there are worse violators of international and human rights laws in the world and they need to be brought to justice but so long as the U.S. violators are not brought to justice, America does not have the moral high ground for leading a world crusade for human rights which it often pretends to do.
No amount of restructuring the world would bring peace and sanity to the world unless the major powers abide by the rules of the game once such rules are decided. As Senator Daniel Moynihan once suggested, ‘there is clear evidence that the United States is moving away from its long-established concern for and advocacy of international legal norms of state behavior.’
‘International law changes, just as domestic law changes. We are fully within our rights to propose changes; to limit or withdraw commitments. What we must not do is act as if the subject was optional, essentially rhetorical. For it is fearfully dangerous thing, the thing most to be feared, to hold that some laws bind the president but others do not.