Should the United States Join the I.C.C
The International Criminal Court is a flawed system that depends upon cooperation to put into effect its
accusations and carry through on its convictions. It only truly has control over members of the International
Criminal Court, which does not include the United States. The International criminal court has the potential
to hold countries accountable for their war crimes and to foster international peace through more cooperation.
This begs the question if the United States would benefit from joining the International Criminal Court?
I believe it would not be in the United States best interest to join the International Criminal Court.
The International Criminal Court is unstable and based heavily on power. The addition of the United States would most likely not create the stability the International Criminal Court would need to truly be effective. The United States would be joining an unpredictable force that could cause problems with the United States international relationships. Since the International Criminal Court also lacks the methods to enforce its ruling, the United States would also be joining a weak force that could easily be ignored by powerful states with enough power to cause intimidation to other states that may try to back up the International Criminal Court ruling. The United States could easily be put in a position where they have to choose between their membership to the International Criminal Court and their loyalty to their powerful allies who may oppose the rulings of the International Criminal Court.This could cause significant problems for the United States and disrupt the international peace the International Criminal Court is striving for.
If the United States were to join the International Criminal Court, they would also then be held accountable for crimes they may have committed while at war. Logically speaking, why would the United States subject themselves willingly to possible scrutiny? It is in the United States best interest to avoid that at all costs and to continue to approach international relations the same way they have been approaching it for years. The International Criminal Court would simply cause unnecessary problems for the United States and could potentially disrupt the balance of power the International Criminal Court has and the power the United States themselves have. This is similar to the idea of a union in workplaces. Although they often seem like a good idea in theory, plenty of workers choose not to request one. Unions hold employers accountable and require them to have a set standard for their behavior in the workplace, but they also require employees to abide by strict guidelines that revolve around time off, benefits, and pay. By joining a union, employees often cause more problems for themselves than the benefits it creates for themselves. This is similar to the United States involvement in the International Criminal Court because even though the United States would be able to hold other countries accountable for their international law crimes, they would also have to answer to the I.C.C. and hold themselves accountable for any possible crimes they may have committed.
I see with what you're trying to argue about the United States joining the International criminal court, but isn't the point of this court to hold countries accountable? You state that the US might then be held accountable for crimes they committed and shouldn't they? Why do they get to get away with crimes that the rest of the world is being held accountable for? I agree that international law struggles with power and the ability to enforce it, but would the US joining really cause instability? If anything why if we are trying to strive for a more just world, would the US international ties matter?
ReplyDeleteIf the question is whether the United States would be help accountable for their actions, then in my opinion the answer is obviously yes, but it is not in the United States best interest for this to happen. In this post I am arguing what is only in the US best interest and it is not in their best interest to have to answer for all the war crimes the committed over the years. I believe this is a major factor as to why the US has not joined the I.C.C yet. The US should be held to the same standard as other countries, but that is not what I am arguing for in this particular instance. I am simply arguing why the US themselves would choose not to join.
DeleteI really agree with the point that the United States should not join the ICC organization. There are no clear benefits of the ICC in the case of the United States, because their record is not great in terms of holding countries accountable. In addition, the Unites States joining the organization would possibly weaken the state's reputation internationally.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. It is not in any way in the United States interest to join the ICC. The US would not benefit and would most likely face set backs because of it. The US is currently in a position of power, where they only have to truly answer for themselves. Joining the ICC would change this astronomically.
DeleteI understand the point you're trying to make. However, I do not agree with your statement. The U.S. pretends to be always a big supporter of the liberal world order. The fact, that the U.S. is not part of the I.C.C. is in my opinion not consistent. Shouldn't it be in the interest of the U.S. that every country should be treated the same and should be held accountable for their wrongdoings?
ReplyDelete