Australian officials say they are dismayed by the Trump administration's ongoing assault on the International Criminal Court.

The Trump administration has sanctioned several ICC lawyers and announced fresh sanctions on ICC president Tomoko Akane.

The government has also been quietly maintaining contact with Australians working at the ICC who might be targeted by future US sanctions.

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[–] [S] 1 point 1 month ago (4 children)

You're right again. The USA should not be called 'America'. You made me remember South American friends who used to find that really galling.

Don't forget we have a duopoly too and when it comes to 'empire' our govt, no matter blue or red, also usually follows what we are told to do. We have been involved in all large-scale US-related wars last century and this century. We don't exactly look like a beacon of independence or decency ourselves. We are still selling F-35 parts to Israel which are used to kill civilians. We may be involved in facilitating weapons for Sudan where a horrific genocide is also happening.

Does it suck to be a decent Australian? It might make us feel ashamed or frustrated about our situation but I'd say no, it doesn't 'suck' because we love our country. The same can be said for decent Americans. Their situation has become extreme but if you look at most capitalist nations the problems are similar because we are tied into the same exploitative scrum.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (3 children)

    Patriotism is a disease, get over it, or bury us all.

    The same applies here, duopoly voters are not decent people, they are on the same side as one nation et al.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    To love your country is not necessarily the same as being 'patriotic'. Some patriotic people don't love their country at all. Some love the 'show', the jingoism, the flag nonsense, and being small-minded about what it is to be Australian.

    My understanding is that to love your country is to love its uniqueness and want all its aspects to thrive but not at the expense of of the least powerful, and for people and the natural world on which the nation depends to live in balance and health. To love your country you also need to be critical and to demand high standards of conduct from those who wield power and to take responsibility for your own behaviour. We are not educated enough in comprehending our relationship to the land on which we live.

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