“So far, the official definitions of terrorism have the role of demonizing the enemies of the United States and Israel, and of sanitizing recourse to indiscriminate force by both governments that causes widespread death of innocent civilians. This double standard is built around the current way in which the vocabulary of terrorism is being used in this country.” WayCountryStatesGovernmentUsedForceCausesUnitedEnemyRolesUnited StatesStandardsBuiltDefinitionsCurrentsIsraelTerrorismInnocentOfficialsVocabularyCiviliansDouble StandardRecourse Author:Richard A. Falk
“As such the meaning of hegemony is subject to varying interpretations depending on how the historical role of the United States is interpreted.” StatesUnitedRolesUnited StatesSubjectsHistoricalInterpretationHegemony Author:Richard A. Falk
“After the Second World War, facilitating the establishment of the UN and aiding the reconstruction of Europe, the United States was widely viewed, at least in the West, as a benevolent hegemon. In the non-West, the US was often perceived as a supporter of the colonial powers in their struggle to maintain control over their colonial possessions, and was viewed far more critically, especially by emerging elites that were more inclined to socialist development paradigms than to the capitalist ethos favoured by Washington.” WorldWarStatesUnitedUnited StatesStruggleDevelopmentEuropeWestPossessionWar Of The WorldsEstablishmentCapitalistElitesSocialistSupporterEmergingParadigmSecond World WarBenevolentReconstructionEthos Author:Richard A. Falk
“At present, the United States, with over 700 foreign military bases, navies in every ocean, a programme to militarise space, and drone bases planned for all regions of the world, is increasingly perceived in relation to its hard power diplomacy, a threat to political independence and stability for many countries.” WorldCountryHardStatesPoliticalSpaceUnitedUnited StatesMilitaryOceanBasesRelationIndependenceThreatRegionsStabilityDiplomacyNavyProgrammesDronesMilitary BasesPolitical Independence Author:Richard A. Falk
“Both Israel and the United States have mounted attacks on 'lawfare', that is, counter-hegemonic uses of international law to question policies associated with the occupation of Palestine and criminal tactics of warfare.” StatesUseLawUnitedUnited StatesPolicyInternationalIsraelCriminalsOccupationWarfarePalestineTacticsInternational Law Author:Richard A. Falk
“In the Goldstone Report, Israeli perpetrators of possible crimes against humanity were made subject to prosecution and punishment, although the geopolitical leverage of the United States within the UN prevents implementation. At the same time, several African leaders are being prosecuted for their crimes against humanity and participation in genocide: a double standard of sorts, given the impunity accorded to the West and Israel.” MadeStatesHumanityGivenUnitedLeaderUnited StatesSubjectsCrimeStandardsWestIsraelPunishmentReportsGenocideParticipationIsraeliDouble StandardImpunityImplementationPerpetratorsProsecutionCrimes Against HumanityGeopolitical Author:Richard A. Falk
“There are degrees of incompatibility, and there are more factors relevant to upholding democracy and human rights than the operation of neoliberal markets. Perhaps this point can be initially made by reference to the decline of democracy and the erosion of human rights within the United States since the 9/11 attacks.” HumansMadeStatesUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyRightsDegreesHuman RightsFactorsOperationsRelevantDeclineErosionIncompatibilityDemocracy And Human Rights Author:Richard A. Falk
“The deliberate weakening of the labour movement by the machinations of market fundamentalists, gaining momentum during the periods when Margaret Thatcher led the United Kingdom and Ronald Reagan governed in the United States, contributed to the decline of human rights.” HumansStatesUnitedUnited StatesRightsMovementPeriodsHuman RightsKingdomsLabourDeclineDeliberateMomentumUnited KingdomWeakeningLabour Movement Author:Richard A. Falk
“This issue of expanding the reach of international criminal law by reliance on the use of Universal Jurisdiction by domestic courts needs to be balanced against the injustice of according impunity to those with strong geopolitical backing. It is notable that several western European countries backtracked on UJ after threats of retaliatory moves by the United States and Israel. There is no doubt that the domain of UJ is a geopolitical battleground.” NeedsCountryStatesUseMovingLawStrongUnitedUnited StatesIssuesDoubtUniversalCourtThreatWesternInjusticeInternationalIsraelCriminalsNo DoubtBalancedExpandingDomainRelianceNotableImpunityEuropean CountriesJurisdictionCriminal LawBattlegroundGeopolitical Author:Richard A. Falk
