undefined | Better HN

0 pointsJumpCrisscross3y ago0 comments

> the US set the precedent for complete disregard of international (and even US) law for own benefit

Nobody followed the human rights or no-foreign military intervention chapters of international law, ever. Not in the Cold War [1]. Not in the 90s [2][3].

The one chapter that was held sacrosanct by the Great Powers was no annexing. There was Metternichean proxy governing. But no annexing. That is the red line Putin blundered through.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_interventions_by_the...

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samashki_massacre

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novye_Aldi_massacre

0 comments

4 comments · 1 top-level

medo-bear3y ago· 3 in thread

The US, a sole world leader in the 1990s-2000s, had the responsibility and opportunity to uphold international law. Instead they chose to function as an imperialist power. Today they claim to protect international law.

EDIT: RESPONSE TO BELLOW

> Russia was already violating the human rights chapters in ‘95

Correction, Russia was already violating rights of its own citizens in 1993 [0] with full US blessings

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Russian_constitutional_cr...

JumpCrisscrossOP3y ago

> US, a sole world leader in the 1990s-2000s, had the responsibility and opportunity to uphold international law

That’s a hell of a punt there. You said “the US set the precedent” for disregarding international law, starting by citing the bombing of Yugoslavia in ‘99. Russia was already violating the human rights chapters in ‘95, and the Soviet Union (alongside America) was violating the foreign-intervention chapters since basically they were penned.

So no, there was no precedent. America continued with the status quo. You’re arguing Washington failed to create a new precedent, as it did when it had global nuclear hegemony in the aftermath of WWII. That’s a legitimate argument. But a different one from that which you’re making.

meepmorp3y ago

> Russia was already violating rights of its own citizens in 1993 [0] with full US blessings

Why are the Americans (or NATO) always responsible for the awful things the Russian government does?

medo-bear3y ago

Because Yeltsin was heavily supported by the US. He bombed elected officials not favourable to the US. Similar thing happened when the US supported Saddam and Pinochet

3 more replies

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse