this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2024
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It is quite funny that we call our empire rules based order. Athens was also known for using a lot of euphemisms.
Something about pretending that an imperial democracy is a legit thing that can exist seems to make you want to lie to yourself.
What's your alternative when Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea actively seek their own colonialism?
Why does the existence of multiple evils make you want to defend one particular evil? Why not mention our brutal, murderous or genocidal allies like Saudi or Israel?
Our empire created the problem that is iran, our invasion of iraq showed putin that empires can still destroy foreign countries with no comeuppance, our lack of imperial interests in africa gives russia room to stoke violence and war unchallenged, our antagonism to china encourages them to prop-up NK as a buffer state against our client state on the korean penisula and that same antagonism is driving china to a more belligerent position.
I'm not trying to say that everything is our fault - obviously all those countries are responsible for their fair share of vile behaviour - but our empire has actively contributed to how bad those situations are. All countries are vermin, the more powerful the greater the capacity for evil - and we're the most powerful.
Of course I don't have a step-by-step program to a better world, but it's pretty obvious that we're a big part of the problem and an alternative is needed.
The point is, that rules based system - as flawed as it may be - represents a check against those countries I list currently trying to annex new lands by force.
The point is, there is no rules based order. The rules only apply to the global south, the US has explicitly stated they will bomb or invade The Netherlands if the ICC ever prosecutes a US citizen. It’s just another cynical tool of power projection.
The Hague Invasion Act