Team America: World Police

Did you know that if you do something in your own country that would be illegal in the States, the US believes that they have the right to stop you? According to this article, " U.S. courts have affirmed a right to enforce U.S. laws abroad if crimes affect the United States."

I'm just thinking about the ways that this could affect people in other countries. Right now, they're patrolling the waters around Ecuador, "block[ing] at least 37 Ecuadoran boats and detain[ing] more than 4,575 suspected illegal migrants over the past four years, records show. Then, over the past two years, they've sunk a dozen emptied migrant boats."

If Canada, as it had planned to do a couple of years ago, decriminalizes marijuana, how long before the US is invading our borders to arrest people for selling pot in Canada because they claim it is making its way into the US? Not long, I would venture to guess.

Let's be clear here: they have no right to do this. They've just decided that they're going to because they don't think anyone can stop them. In other words, more of the same.

This is a good example to keep in mind the next time I'm arguing with my boss about why US politics matter to us. He thinks Bush is just a typical politician, lying as needed and trying to maintain his position of power. He doesn't believe that it goes any further than that, and he certainly doesn't think it can affect him.

It's one thing to watch Americans vote away their freedoms. It's another thing entirely to know that they're also voting away ours.