US government sides with Shell over victims of crimes against humanity | EarthRights In... - 0 views
www.earthrights.org/...ictims-crimes-against-humanity
petroleum industry development oil international extractive transparency curse nigeria shell us intervention
shared by Arabica Robusta on 18 Jun 12
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Additionally, I'm confused about why you would criticize the Solicitor General for "tak[ing[ a 19th-Century view of international law" when that is a temporally closer (and thus, presumably more accurate) view of a law enacted in the eighteenth century. I agree with you that this "completely ignores the entire post-World-War-II body of international human rights law," but it is rather obvious that the First Congress could not have intended to address that legal development because those events would not occur for another 150 years!
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oday, the government submitted its brief (below) - and it's on the wrong side. I have rarely been so disappointed in my government.
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The government's position takes a 19th-Century view of international law, basically arguing that governments don't have any business meddling in what other nations do to their own citizens. That's ridiculous, and it completely ignores the entire post-World-War-II body of international human rights law. It's also at odds with US foreign policy, which frequently criticizes other nations - and even authorizes hostile action - based on their treatment of their own citizens.
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Essentially, Obama is saying that if a foreign government abuses human rights, we can bomb them, like we did with Libya. But we can't hold anyone accountable in court, because that would threaten international relations.