LD Jan/Feb Resolution: U.S. Submitting to an International Court

Value: Justice does create security. Without justice and a punishment system, criminals would roam free and there would be no consequences for the crimes they commit. Therefore, they would continue to commit these crimes and nobody would ever feel safe. VC: I believe my interpretation of ought was completely moral void of any realism. I stand by that 100%. C1: My opponent says that the courts have never failed. I offer the following example of a government cover-up under which some body (any ruling body) above the federal government could have intervened and restored justice in the public eye of U.S. nationals. I quote the following from Right Web Political Research Associates: "Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and a long-standing member of the clique of hardliners and neoconservatives who pushed for the Iraq War, was convicted in early March 2007 on charges of lying to government investigators probing the leak of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Among the charges were two counts of perjury, one count of making false statements, and one of obstruction of justice. Just before Libby was to begin serving his 30-month prison sentence, President George W. Bush commuted the sentence, arguing that it was excessive. The decision drew widespread criticism from across the political spectrum. In a letter to the editor of the New York Times (July 3, 2007), David Dow, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center, wrote "Lewis Libby Jr. had the best lawyers money can buy. His crime cannot be attributed to youth or retardation. He has expressed no remorse whatsoever for lying to a grand jury or participating in the administration's effort to mislead the American people about the war in Iraq. President Bush's commutation of Mr. Libby's sentence is certainly legal, but it just as surely offends the fundamental constitutional value of equality. Because President Bush signed a commutation, a rich and powerful man will spend not a day in prison, while 57 poor and poorly connected human beings died because Governor Bush refused to lift a pen for them." As Dow says, it is completely legal for the president to have commuted Libby's sentence. However, what happened to the ideals of equality that was emphasized at the signing of the Constitution? This case shows how, without any checks on the system, a government can cover up for a criminal. What makes the situation worse is how big it blew up in media. The obvious public reaction is a safer feeling, but only for those in positions of power with connections. They can get off scot-free, even in the event that they are convicted by 12 people and a judge. Despite the evidence, they have nothing to worry about. What happened to the deterrent effect that defines the justice system? Even though this is not a case of a crime against humanity, the conclusion is the same. C2: Perhaps military power is more determinant/effective, but less morally permissible. Refer back to my argument involving the "I kill my opponent" example and how the punishment should be determined by a third party. C3: We don't join the IIC and the IIC cannot to its full capability extend appropriate justice to the 108 nations that are a part of it. In addition, we don't join and our justice system is open for corruption, which I pointed out in my warrant used in the argument against my opponent's C1. Key Issues: (copying you…sorry) 1)If we don't have justice, there is no method of ensuring national security. Automatically, I win, as my opponent's arguments lead to a concept that cannot exist without the Aff's value. 2)My opponent at one point says that we have no moral obligation for the other nations of the world, yet offers a card otherwise. The fact that we do extend a hand to other nations indicates a level of moral responsibility the U.S. feels towards other nations. 3)I have proven one scenario which has occurred in which the U.S. government and judicial system has failed. The same event could therefore occur on a global impact scale, involving crimes against humanity. I urge you to affirm.