In the Roman empire, a Roman citizen could only be tried by a Roman court under Roman law - that is the essence of what imperialism is about: everyone is subject to our laws, but we're not subject to theirs.  The reason I chose that as a defining example is that I believe Neo-conservatism is only he most extreme form of US imperialism - many, perhaps the majority of American's would balk at - say Dick Cheney - being tried by the ICJ in the Hague - regardless of the merits of the case or whether he were ultimately found guilty or innocent.

Thus Obama is inheriting a polity which is fundamentally imperialist - Democrats as well as Republicans, and quite a few "progressives" as well have a contempt for the UN, for international law, and for American's tried under international law.  These attitudes run much deeper than the Obama/Bush divide, and until that changes, the US will continue to be a source of instability in the world - with US Corporations, Mercenaries, and Armed Forces acting with impunity around the world.

My next diary should perhaps be entitled "The limits of US Liberalism".

notes from no w here