a nation of outlaws

In today's news: Bush withholds aid from poor countries that refuse to hide American genocide suspects. The International Criminal Court was designed to try people for genocide. George W. Bush clearly feels it is likely to come after him or his people. So he opposes it - all Americans are now literally outlaws, setting themselves outside the laws that other nations follow. Bush says the ICC laws are not good enough. The ICC uses the same standards and methods as the Nuremberg war trials. Nuremberg was good enough to judge the Nazis. Why should Bush have problems with it? Are his own standards on international law any better?

If an American genocide suspect is held for trial, the so-called "Hague Invasion Act" says America can use force to free the suspect, like a Chicago mob blowing off the gates of the prison so a gang member can escape. For years, critics of America have referred the Bush and co. as outlaws. It is strange to find that Bush agrees with them.

Of course, every nation is free to create - or ignore - whatever laws it wishes. And other nations can judge it accordingly. Under a land rent system, those Americans who respect international law could opt out and make their own new, better America. And if the hawks were right, they could now go ahead with their brave new world, no longer hamstrung by the pinko wimps. Whichever side did better would soon attract most of the others to join them. It's the quick way to prove who is really on the right side.