>Maybe so, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Chomskyan left is correct all the time. Mexico, Canada, the EU and Japan succeeded in forcing the U.S. to back down over permanent immunity for peacekeepers. I doubt one would see this development reported in Z Magazine who likely see the International Criminal Court as a means of taking down Castro, despite America's utter hostility to it. Other capitalist countries are at the moment doing a better job of defanging the U.S. than the ultras are.
This is going beyond building straw men, to building a full fledged sacrificial wicker figure. "I doubt one would see" is how you put it. Meaning you have not even read what Noam, or the Znet site has to say on the subject. You simply know the position the imaginary Chomsky in your head holds and attack him accordingly.
Incidentally, while I support the International Criminal Court myself, I don't know why you would count the European position as a great victory. Given universal opposition by almost the entire world, what happens? Is the U.S. subject to this court in any form whatsoever? No, it merely allowed the EU to save face; instead of a permanent exemption the U.S. received a one year extension - renewable at end of the year on the basis of the same threat the U.S. used to gain this exemption, or on the basis of more severe threats if that is what it takes.
I will add the Zmag, and it's related web site Znet have mentioned the ICC for years, mostly in passing when discussing other subjects - generally favorably towards the idea, and sarcastically toward the United States for joining with China and Iraq in opposing it.
And in terms of other countries "doing a better job of defanging the U.S. than the ultras are", are I would say not only that, but they are doing a better job than all American liberals and leftists combined. That is not because they are doing a great job - but possessing nuclear weapons, large conventional militaries, multi hundred billion dollar budgets and such, they have more power than American leftist - thus when they happen to WANT to defang the U.S. they can do more they we can. Of course, as this ICC incident shows they still can't do very much. Essentially, even when they want to oppose the U.S., they still end up having to back down.
Um, as a last note, I would say that this post of your was , well, not up to your usual standard. Perhaps you were tired or unusually stressed when you wrote it? <smile>
Gar