The U.S. is an entity that has duly enacted laws and some of them require paying taxes. But nobody made the “laws” that the U.S. pretends to enforce on the international stage.
That’s my beef: if the U.S. wants to meddle in other country’s affairs “because it can” nobody can stop it. But it’s insulting to disguise what is an exercise of power as the enforcement of “law.” And if Americans really do believe there is law that binds the whole world that’s where the religious nutjobbery comes in. Law is something that only exists within a state that has the monopoly on violence to enforce it.
(Intervening in World War II can be justified as an exercise is protecting U.S. security. Intervening in Rwanda cannot, and is an example of Americans believing it’s their job to enforce God’s law everywhere in the world.)
> But nobody made the “laws” that the U.S. pretends to enforce on the international stage.
You're setting the bar pretty high. Some "law" simply evolves, by custom and practice, without any formal enactment by anyone. One example that comes to mind is (maritime) anti-piracy law.
Keep in mind that, unless I'm very much mistaken, American extraterritorial law is fundamentally grounded on, "if you want access to our country, financial system, etc., then you gotta follow our rules — and not necessarily just while you're within our geographic borders. You pays your money and you takes your choice."
BTW, the U.S. didn't invade Rwanda at all, to save the Tutsis or otherwise.
> Intervening in Rwanda [to stop genocide] cannot [be justified], and is an example of Americans believing it’s their job to enforce God’s law everywhere in the world.
Many of us would assert that trying to stop mass murder is a good thing in its own right and doesn't need to be justified by reference to "God's law," whatever that might mean.
That’s my beef: if the U.S. wants to meddle in other country’s affairs “because it can” nobody can stop it. But it’s insulting to disguise what is an exercise of power as the enforcement of “law.” And if Americans really do believe there is law that binds the whole world that’s where the religious nutjobbery comes in. Law is something that only exists within a state that has the monopoly on violence to enforce it.
(Intervening in World War II can be justified as an exercise is protecting U.S. security. Intervening in Rwanda cannot, and is an example of Americans believing it’s their job to enforce God’s law everywhere in the world.)