Criticism of the United States government
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History of U.S. expansion and influence |
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Criticism of the
Criticism has been levelled against the competence of its leaders,[1][2][3] perceived corruption,[4][5] and its foreign policy.[6]
Foreign policy
The U.S. has been criticized for making statements supporting peace and respecting national sovereignty, but while carrying out military actions such as in
The U.S. has been criticized for supporting dictatorships with economic assistance and military hardware.[13][14]
The U.S. has been criticized by Noam Chomsky for opposing nationalist movements in foreign countries, including social reform.[15][16][clarification needed]
President Bush has been criticized for neglecting democracy and human rights by focusing exclusively on an effort to fight terrorism.[17] The U.S. was criticized for alleged prisoner abuse at Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib in Iraq, and secret CIA prisons in eastern Europe, according to Amnesty International.[18] In response, the U.S. government claimed incidents of abuse were isolated incidents which did not reflect U.S. policy.
Some critics charge that U.S. government aid should be higher given the high levels of gross domestic product.[19][20] The U.S. pledged 0.7% of GDP at a global conference in Mexico.[21][22] However, since the U.S. grants tax breaks to nonprofits, it subsidizes relief efforts abroad,[23] although other nations also subsidize charitable activity abroad.[24] Most foreign aid (79%) came not from government sources but from private foundations, corporations, voluntary organizations, universities, religious organizations and individuals. According to the Index of Global Philanthropy, the United States is the top donor in absolute amounts.[25]
The U.S. has also been criticized for failure to support the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.[26][27]
There has been sharp criticism about the U.S. response to the Holocaust: That it failed to admit Jews fleeing persecution from Europe at the beginning of World War II, and that it did not act decisively enough to prevent or stop the Holocaust.[28][29]
Critic Robert McMahon thinks Congress has been excluded from foreign policy decision making, and that this is detrimental.[30] Other writers suggest a need for greater congressional participation.[31]
Since that time, Webb thinks Congress has become largely irrelevant in shaping and executing of U.S. foreign policy. He cites the
Finally, Webb identifies the U.S. intervention in Libya as a troubling historical precedent. "The issue in play in Libya was not simply whether the president should ask Congress for a declaration of war. Nor was it wholly about whether Obama violated the edicts of the War Powers Act, which in this writer's view he clearly did. The issue that remains to be resolved is whether a president can unilaterally begin, and continue, a military campaign for reasons that he alone defines as meeting the demanding standards of a vital national interest worth of risking American lives and expending billions of dollars of taxpayer money."[32] When the military campaign lasted months, President Barack Obama did not seek approval of Congress to continue military activity.[32]
International law
The US government has revoked or reduced the judicial immunity of some foreign government, which is somewhat unusual in international law. In most cases, the US government's conduct cannot be equated with international law, as the International Court of Justice has ruled.[33]
In general, it can be said that "judicial immunity of governments" means that no government has the right to try or prosecute the independent and ruling government of another country in its courts. "The judicial immunity of the governments" in international law refers to the rules and principles of law, according to which the foreign government will be safe from the exercise of the authority of another government.[34]
In recent years, US courts have focused on implicit waiver of judicial immunity of other governments due to the United States' government insistence.[35] In many foreign policy cases, the US government has prioritized its own interests by undermining the judicial immunity of other governments and abusing the provisions of international law.[36] The US State Immunity Act is in conflict with international law, although in many cases the parties to the dispute have sought to challenge the law with their defenses under the US State Immunity Act, the courts have always upheld the validity of the law, while many of these objections look right and legal.[37] Some jurists have explicitly stated that US foreign government judicial immunity regulations can hardly be adapted to the provisions of international law.[38] The International Court of Justice has in several cases declared the US foreign government judicial immunity regulations outside the legal limits.[39][40]
Government structure
Executive branch
Presidential incompetency
One difficulty of the American government is that the lack of oversight for presidents offers no safeguards for presidential incompetency. For example,
George H. W. Bush was criticized for stopping the first Iraq War too soon without finishing the task of capturing Saddam Hussein.[44] Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger criticized Jimmy Carter for numerous foreign policy mistakes, including a decision to admit the ailing Shah of Iran into the United States for medical treatment, as well as a bungled military mission to try to rescue the hostages in Tehran.[48]
Virtually every president in modern history has been criticized for incompetency in some fashion. However, there are little to no mechanisms in place to provide accountability. Since the only way to remove an incompetent president is with the rather difficult policy of impeachment, it is possible for a marginally competent or incompetent president to stay in office for four to eight years and cause great mischief.[49][50]
Over-burdened presidency
Presidents have not only foreign policy responsibilities, but sizable domestic duties too. In addition, the presidency is the head of a political party. As a result, it is tough for one person to manage disparate tasks, in one view. Many believe that this overburdened duty of presidents allows for incompetency in government.[51]
Presidents may lack experience
Since the constitution requires no prior experience in diplomacy, government, or military service, it is possible to elect presidents with scant foreign policy experience. Clearly the record of past presidents confirms this, and that presidents who have had extensive diplomatic, military, and foreign policy experience have been the exception, not the rule. In recent years, presidents had relatively more experience in such tasks as peanut farming,
In addition, an increasing difficulty for providing well-versed presidents is that the American people in recent years are, in increasing numbers, more distrustful of their government and longterm, career politicians. As such, inexperienced candidates often perform better.[53]
Excessive authority of the presidency
In contrast to criticisms that presidential attention is divided into competing tasks,
See also
- U.S. policy toward authoritarian governments
- Perceptions of the United States sanctions
- Anti-Americanism
- American exceptionalism
- American imperialism
- Criticism of the United States Constitution
- Criticism of Social Security
- Criticism of the Iraq War
- Democratic backsliding in the United States
- Dollar hegemony
- Foreign policy of the United States
- Human rights in the United States
- Human Rights Record of the United States
- Inverted totalitarianism
- Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War
- United States and state terrorism
- United States and state-sponsored terrorism
- United States foreign policy in the Middle East
- United States military aid
- United States support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
Criticism of United States government agencies
- Criticism of the Border Patrol
- Criticism of the Customs and Border Protection
- Criticism of the Department of Health and Human Services
- Criticism of the Department of Homeland Security
- Criticism of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Criticism of the Drug Enforcement Administration
- Criticism of the Federal Air Marshal Service
- Criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration
- Criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Criticism of the Federal Reserve
- Criticism of the Food and Drug Administration
- Criticism of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Criticism of the IRS
- Criticism of the Patent and Trademark Office
- Criticism of the Transportation Security Agency
References
- ^ Riotta, Chris (23 June 2017). "Global business leaders describe Trump as "reckless," "incompetent" and "erratic"". Newsweek.
- ^ Murdock, Deroy (10 July 2015). "You Can't Keep up with Obama's Incompetence, Corruption, and Hyperactivity". National Review.
- ^ "U.S. Senator blasting congressional incompetence". 2 July 2019.
- ^ "2018 Corruption Perception Index". Transparency International. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ Walt, Stephen M. (19 March 2019). "America's Corruption is a National Security Threat".
- ^ "NOW on PBS | PBS". PBS.
- ^ Battle, Joyce, ed. (25 February 2003). "Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein". The National Security Archive. George Washington University. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Canada attacks U.S. on wood tariffs". BBC. 2005-10-25. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ Satter, Raphael (2007-05-24). "Report hits U.S. on human rights". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ "World Report 2002: United States". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
- ^ "U.S. keeps Venezuela, Bolivia atop narcotics list". Reuters. September 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie (February 1, 2005). "Democracy And Reality". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ISBN 978-0415686174.
- ISBN 978-1541742406.
- ZNet. Archived from the originalon 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "Noam Chomsky on America's Foreign Policy". PBS. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- ^ McCrummen, Stephanie (February 22, 2008). "U.S. Policy in Africa Faulted on Priorities: Security Is Stressed Over Democracy". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ "Report 2005 USA Summary". Amnesty International. 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ Shah, Anup (2009). "US and Foreign Aid Assistance". Global Issues. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ "US and Foreign Aid Assistance". Global Issues. 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ "UN Millennium Project – Fast Facts". UNDP. 2005. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ "UN Millennium Project – Fast Facts". OECD. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-11-23. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- SSRN 1044041.
- ^ "U.S. and Foreign Aid Assistance". Global Issues. 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ "Foreign aid". America.gov. 2007-05-24. Archived from the original on 2009-12-23. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
- ^ a b c d Dana Milbank (October 20, 2005). "Colonel Finally Saw Whites of Their Eyes". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ "Bush + Blair = Buddies". CBS News. July 19, 2001. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ "FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ Joseph J. Plaud, BCBA. "Historical Perspectives on Franklin D. Roosevelt, American Foreign Policy, and the Holocaust". Franklin D. Roosevelt American Heritage Center and Museum. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ Robert McMahon; Council on Foreign Relations (December 24, 2007). "The Impact of the 110th Congress on U.S. Foreign Policy". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ Jessica Tuchman Mathews (October 10, 2007). "Six Years Later: Assessing Long-Term Threats, Risks and the U.S. Strategy for Security in a Post-9/11 World". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ a b c d e Webb, Jim (March–April 2013). "Congressional Abdication". The National Interest (124). Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 67.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 68.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 78.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 80 and 84.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 85.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 86.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^
حبیبی مجنده, محمد; حسینی آزاد, سید علی; رحیم خویی, الناز (2014). "نقد عملکرد ایالات متحده آمریکا در نقض مصونیت قضایی دولت ها در آیینه حقوق بین الملل و رأی 2012 دیوان بین المللی دادگستری" [Criticism of the United States's performance in violating the judicial immunity of states in the mirror of international law and the 2012 ruling of the International Court of Justice]. حقوقی بین المللی (in Persian). 51: 85–88.
سال ۳۱ پاییز و زمستان ۱۳۹۳ شماره ۵۱، صفحات ۶۷ تا ۹۶
- ^ ICJ Judgment, op cit, para. 62.
- ^ Murdock, Deroy (10 July 2015). "You Can't Keep Up with Obama's Incompetence, Corruption, and Hyperactivity". National Review.
- ^ Fareed Zakaria (March 14, 2009). "Why Washington Worries – Obama has made striking moves to fix U.S. foreign policy – and that has set off a chorus of criticism". Newsweek. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- ^ Amy Chua (October 22, 2009). "Where Is U.S. Foreign Policy Headed?". The New York Times: Sunday Book Review. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ a b James M. Lindsay (book reviewer) (March 25, 2007). "The Superpower Blues: Zbigniew Brzezinski says we have one last shot at getting the post-9/11 world right. book review of "Second Chance" by Zbigniew Brzezinski". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press (2008-09-15). "Report: John Le Carre says he nearly defected to Russia". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ Paul Magnusson (book reviewer) (2002-12-30). "Is Democracy Dangerous? Book review of: World On Fire – How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability; By Amy Chua". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on January 8, 2003. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ Roger Cohen (April 5, 2006). "Freedom May Rock Boat, but It Can't Be Selective". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ "Nation: Kissinger: What Next for the U.S.?". Time. May 12, 1980. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ "Constitution Day Essay 2008: Professor Sanford Levinson examines the dictatorial power of the Presidency". University of Texas School of Law. September 17, 2008. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011.
- ^ Sanford Levinson (October 16, 2006). "Our Broken Constitution". University of Texas School of Law – News & Events. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
- ^ Zbigniew Brzezinski (2001-10-20). "From Hope to Audacity: Appraising Obama's Foreign Policy (I)". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
- ^ "The big question about Barack Obama". USA Today. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Amateurs in the Oval Office". The Atlantic. 8 October 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-8166-5677-6.
- ^ Sirota, David (August 22, 2008). "The Conquest of Presidentialism". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ David Sirota (August 22, 2008). "Why cult of presidency is bad for democracy". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ David Sirota (January 18, 2009). "U.S. moving toward czarism, away from democracy". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ Sanford Levinson (February 5, 2009). ""Wartime Presidents and the Constitution: From Lincoln to Obama" – speech by Sanford Levinson at Wayne Morse Center". Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics. Retrieved 2009-10-10. [dead link]
- ^ Anand Giridharadas (September 25, 2009). "Edging Out Congress and the Public". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
Further reading
- Bacevich, Andrew J. The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2008.
- Blum, William. America's Deadliest Export: Democracy : the Truth About US Foreign Policy and Everything Else. Halifax, N.S.: Fernwood Pub, 2013.
- Chomsky, Noam, and David Barsamian. Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2005.
- Cramer, Jane K., and A. Trevor Thrall. Why Did the United States Invade Iraq? Hoboken: Taylor & Francis, 2011.
- Davidson, Lawrence. Foreign Policy, Inc.: Privatizing America's National Interest. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2009.
- Eland, Ivan. The Empire Has No Clothes: U.S. Foreign Policy Exposed. Oakland, Calif: Independent Institute, 2004. ISBN 0-945999-98-4
- Esparza, Marcia; Henry R. Huttenbach; Daniel Feierstein, eds. State Violence and Genocide in Latin America: The Cold War Years (Critical Terrorism Studies). Routledge, 2011. ISBN 0415664578
- Foner, Philip Sheldon. The Spanish-Cuban-American War and the Birth of American Imperialism, 1895–1902. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1972.
- Gould, Carol. Don't Tread on Me: Anti-Americanism Abroad. New York: Encounter Books, 2009.
- ISBN 9780226306902
- Immerman, Richard H. Empire for Liberty: A History of American Imperialism from Benjamin Franklin to Paul Wolfowitz. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010.
- Lichtblau, Eric. The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler's Men. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. ISBN 0547669194
- Marsden, Lee. For God's Sake: The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy. London: Zed Books, 2008.
- Maier, Charles S. Among Empires: American Ascendancy and Its Predecessors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006.
- Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt. The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
- Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492–Present. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.