American Exception: Our Illegal Foreign and Domestic Policies

In his recent book, American Exception, Empire and the Deep State, Aaron Good digs deep into the underbelly of American empire.

“The institutionalized abrogation of the rule of law, here termed exceptionalism, has been a key mechanism of subverting US democracy and reproducing US predominance and imperial hegemony over the global capital system.”

The U.S. is meddling in other countries’ political affairs

The United Nations Charter, specifically Article 2(4) states: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

The Charter establishes that the use of force is illegal without UN Security Council authorization except in cases of self-defense. The US Constitution states, “all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land.”

“In 1967, in response to the US bombing of North Vietnam, Richard Falk and a number of other distinguished American legal scholars wrote that the U.S. was violating the UN Charter and thus…

Because these actions violate the supreme law of the land, the question as to which branch of the Government may authorize them, or whether one branch of the government may delegate to another branch legal powers to authorize them, becomes irrelevant. No branch of Government is permitted directly or indirectly (by delegation) to violate the Constitution.

The historical record shows that the US has meddled in the political affairs of dozens of countries, including many democracies.

Examples of illegal policy actions

So how is it that innumerable US foreign policy actions are illegal under international and domestic law? Many examples come to mind which include U.S. aggression against Cuba (Bay of Pigs), North Vietnam, Cambodia, Granada Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq (weapons of mass destruction), Syria, and the assassination of Quasem Solemani.

The assassination of Solemani, by then President Trump, was a criminal act on multiple levels and a violation of the UN Charter. The War Powers Act requires the President “in every possible instance to consult with Congress” before using force in “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by circumstance.” Trump neglected to consult with the Speaker of the House as the War Powers Act stipulates.

Furthermore, in 2014, the Obama administration backed the overthrow of Ukraine’s duly elected government, which led to the installation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the continuing march of NATO closer to the Russian border. The threat of NATO and US missile installations on its border led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a tragic move that could have been avoided, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian men. 

It is clear that the U.S. and its allies were out to sabotage possibilities for peace immediately after the Russian invasion. Were it not for their interference, the current war could have ended in early March 2022. 

For the sake of Ukraine’s very survival and to avoid a potential nuclear war, the President of the United States has one overriding responsibility: Negotiate! What will Kamala Harris do?

Domestic exceptionalism

US exceptionalism is not limited to foreign policy. It abounds domestically as well.” The US government has exercised supralegal prerogative in such ways to repeatedly violate the US Constitution, including its prohibitions against “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people to peaceably assemble,” and “against unreasonable searches and seizures, (without) Warrants (issued) upon probable cause.”

“There are serious problems that an exceptionalist (i.e., lawless) security state represents to liberal democracy. The rule of law is obviously overridden. State secrecy confounds public sense-making and deliberation since the public cannot evaluate policies and governmental actions that are obscured or misrepresented through various ersatz cover stories.”

With the upcoming election, one wonders what US foreign and domestic policy will continue with either the Republicans or Democrats in power. Will it be more of the same in which the American public is unaware of the illegal policies of our elected officials. It’s really time for a wakeup call in which all of us are responsible for our government’s policies, both domestically and abroad. Don’t be fooled by political rhetoric. Do your homework.

I encourage everyone to read Dr. Jill Stein’s (Green Party) Foreign Policy and Demilitarization. It is the sanest and most comprehensive plan for establishing world peace of any candidate, Republican or Democrat.

The American public deserves better. We deserve full truth as to the inner workings of our government and the decisions of our elected officials which affect our everyday lives and our security as a nation.