President Trump has abducted Venezuelan president Maduro and hauled him before a United States court to face criminal charges for drug trafficking. As usual, people's opinions on this matter track people's biases: leftists condemn it because they admire Maduro's socialism, and conservatives cheer it because they hate Maduro's socialism. Also as usual, I stand alone because I condemn what has happened even though I am highly conservative and hate Maduro's socialism.
For one, Trump has committed an act of war against a foreign nation without obtaining congressional approval, so he has usurped the war power and violated the United States Constitution (as every president has done since the end of World War II).
For another, Trump has violated the UN Charter, the Nuremberg Principles, and customary international law governing the use of force -- all of which the United States was instrumental in establishing but hypocritically ignores on a regular basis. International force may be used in defense of one's own nation or other nations when an armed attack occurs or is about to occur, none of which are the case here. The only other allowance is when the UN Security Council approves the use of force, which also isn't the case here. For the United States to act in such a manner while condemning Russia for violating these same rules is both hilarious and disgusting. Indeed, Russia had far more justifiable reasons for invading Ukraine, which borders Russia and was being transformed into a NATO staging area. No such threat emanated from Venezuela, so what Trump has done is less justifiable (even though less violent).
For another, national sovereignty is the cornerstone of not only international law, but of human freedom because any sort of global hegemony would cut off our escape from abusive governmental practices. All free and intelligent men yearn for a multi-polar world where political power is dispersed as far and wide as possible, in as many separate sovereignties as possible, to prevent the monopolization of political power on the world stage. This is similar to antitrust law, but applied to governments rather than mere corporations (which are far less dangerous). It makes no difference whether Maduro is a dictator or "illegitimate," for there can be no freedom without independence. To argue that an invasion of a sovereign nation is necessary to make it free is a complete contradiction. Our own Declaration of Independence acknowledges this principle, but the federal government has desecrated it many times over (such as when invading the South from 1861 to 1865, when invading all the States on a regular basis to destroy their self-governance under the guise of the 14th Amendment, and when invading foreign nations).
For another, the federal drug laws at issue in Maduro's prosecution are themselves unconstitutional. No constitutional amendment empowered the federal government to conduct a war on drugs, though a constitutional amendment was passed (and later repealed) to conduct a war on alcohol. We don't bother with amendments anymore. Too inconvenient to the powers that be.
For another, it's rather odd to condemn Maduro for violating one nation's drug laws when the prosecuting nation has violated its own constitutional law and the law of nations in general. Who is the bigger criminal here?
For another, I find it odd that Maduro's immunity as a head of state is being ignored to prosecute him, when considering that Trump's immunity as a head of state is what has prevented his own prosecution. The hypocrisy coating this entire ordeal is stifling.
For another, it is obvious that the swamp has consumed Trump rather than he drain it as originally promised. He is no different from George W. Bush, John McCain, or any other neoconservative stooge. This just goes to show that, as I've argued for decades now, we have an unlawful and irredeemable government. Elections cannot get us out of this.
Finally, this belligerent conduct reeks of desperation and is typical of dying empires. We have rejected the virtues that once made us prosperous and strong, and our obscene deficit spending has led us to the point where other nations are poised to ditch the dollar. Force is all we have left, but its time is short.
No comments:
Post a Comment