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The reason I bring up the military has to do with external influence. The US has a solid internal system of governance (as per other comments), but it would be

The reason I bring up the military has to do with external influence. The US has a solid internal system of governance (as per other comments), but it would be worth nothing if other countries could intimidate it through military power.

emodendroket 8y ago
It goes further than that. The US is quite able to intimidate (or outright depose) governments it perceives as hostile to its interests. Even in friendly countries the presence of its military gives something of a check on internal politics, before we even get to outright cloak-and-dagger stuff (which has been influential on the political course of numerous US allies). One of the more comical illustrations of this is that the US passed a law during the Bush administraron authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC. Less amusing is story after story of US-authorized violence to depose governments perceived as hostile to US business interests and slaughter supporters of the deposed governments.
- kazen44 8y ago
  > One of the more comical illustrations of this is that the US passed a law during the Bush administraron authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC. You might find this comical, but many dutchmen find it absolutely abhorrent that the US is willing to enact suchs an aggresive policy into law, especially as the dutch have been close allies with the US for a very long time.
  - emodendroket 8y ago
    Sorry, that was a poor choice of words. It's just such an over-the-top form of strong-arming (and so seemingly unnecessary; what were the risks that the ICC was really going to go after US officials in the first place?) that it seems cartoonish.
- masonic 8y ago
  authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC Source? That would be unnecessary given that the US can simply opt out of jurisdiction of the ICC in any given case and has done so several times through history.
  - emodendroket 8y ago
    It's called the Service Members' Protection Act, although it's often known as the "Invade the Hague Act." https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0213/p05s01-woeu.html https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0213/p05s01-woeu...

emodendroket 8y ago

It goes further than that. The US is quite able to intimidate (or outright depose) governments it perceives as hostile to its interests. Even in friendly countries the presence of its military gives something of a check on internal politics, before we even get to outright cloak-and-dagger stuff (which has been influential on the political course of numerous US allies). One of the more comical illustrations of this is that the US passed a law during the Bush administraron authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC. Less amusing is story after story of US-authorized violence to depose governments perceived as hostile to US business interests and slaughter supporters of the deposed governments.

kazen44 8y ago
> One of the more comical illustrations of this is that the US passed a law during the Bush administraron authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC. You might find this comical, but many dutchmen find it absolutely abhorrent that the US is willing to enact suchs an aggresive policy into law, especially as the dutch have been close allies with the US for a very long time.
- emodendroket 8y ago
  Sorry, that was a poor choice of words. It's just such an over-the-top form of strong-arming (and so seemingly unnecessary; what were the risks that the ICC was really going to go after US officials in the first place?) that it seems cartoonish.
masonic 8y ago
authorizing invasion of the Hague if US officials were to be tried in the ICC Source? That would be unnecessary given that the US can simply opt out of jurisdiction of the ICC in any given case and has done so several times through history.
- emodendroket 8y ago
  It's called the Service Members' Protection Act, although it's often known as the "Invade the Hague Act." https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0213/p05s01-woeu.html https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0213/p05s01-woeu...