Devon Whittle » USA

Overheard in Arusha

devonwhittle — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:56:51 +0000

I heard a school kid singing this song this week in Arusha.

Slave, slave, slave in America.

Working hard day and night.

Planting sugar, sugar and tea.

When I was in America.

See my hand, which is broken.

Working hard day and night.

Planting sugar, sugar and tea.

When I was in America.

If only I had a recording to share with you too. He says it’s a song that all the kids at his school sing. It’s quite catchy, but one wonders about the implications for international relations…

Overheard in Arusha is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Why a 'hippocratic' Africa policy wouldn't work

devonwhittle — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:16:46 +0000

Owen Abroad posts on a suggestion that the the USA’s Africa policy should start with “first, do no harm”. He concludes: “The literal application of the hippocratic rule prevents policy-makers from taking risks where there is a possibility of doing harm but where the good could massively outweigh it. If we adopt a policy of never doing harm, we will limit the amount of good we can do.”

Why a 'hippocratic' Africa policy wouldn't work is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

How to lose $3.4 trillion (and have no-one really care)

devonwhittle — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:47:40 +0000

Grant Montgomery points out that in between 1999 and 2000 the US Department of Defense ‘lost’ $3.4 trillion. The power of the CLASSIFIED stamp in action? If this happened in elsewhere surely we’d be screaming corruption?

How to lose $3.4 trillion (and have no-one really care) is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Disappointed with 24's "Genocide Episode"

devonwhittle — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:49:08 +0000

I got to watch the 2-hour introduction to season 7 of 24 last week, and I must say I was quite disappointed. The episode starts with Jack Bauer hiding out in the imaginary African nation of Sangala, where a civil war, involving child soldiers, funded by a mysterious American with connections in high place is about to erupt.

Sure I knew it would be all about Jack and how he saves the day but I was quite surprised how contrived some parts were. Spoilers ahead.

I was especially surprised at the way the United Nations was portrayed, as were others. They had a wimpy French guy who continually reminded us that the UN “remains neutral” in this matter, before then selling out Bauer and some orphans to the bad rebels. I mean, really? This is the best they could do? No attempt to portray the real horror of good people running up against a stilted bureaucracy run by diplomats who can’t agree.

Of course I’m also biased because an absence of a TV in my house has probably raised my standards in regard to acting and the actors in 24 weren’t of the highest standard.

Disappointed with 24's "Genocide Episode" is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

More on the extent of AB powers to interpret WTO agreements

devonwhittle — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:07:51 +0000

There’s more on the on-going debate over the extent that AB can ‘interpret’ WTO agreements. The US now says that the AB can ‘clarify’ but not ‘interpret’ or ‘amend’ any agreement. Is this the worst case of legal semantics being played?

More on the extent of AB powers to interpret WTO agreements is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

The ICC and the Security Council Referral Power

devonwhittle — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:55:36 +0000

I finally handed in my big essay on the International Criminal Court and the Security Council – a slightly melancholy moment, realising how much better it could have been and all that if only I had given myself more time and picked a topic I was more familiar with. But done it is and it allowed me to encounter some interesting ideas along the way.

My argument began its life around the question of the legality of art 13(b) of the Rome Statute. That is the provision that triggers ICC jurisdiction upon Security Council referral. I had encountered what looked like some people saying art 13(b) empowered the Security Council to act, or at least questioned its legality, so thought it would be good to explore exactly how this article operates.

However, about halfway through it became pretty clear that no-one can honestly think that art 13(b) operates to empower or limit the Security Council. Principles of treaty interpretation, art 103 of the UN Charter, etc, all clearly demonstrate that the only way to limit Security Council power is by explicit amendment to the UN Charter.

Since I couldn’t find anyone explicitly laying out as such, I decided it was worth it to use all the research I had done and spent about 1,000 words detailing the limits of art 13(b), before proposing the obvious solution that art 13(b) empowers the ICC upon Security Council referral. Ultimately, the difference may seem semantic, in that if the ICC is to be empowered technically the referral has to meet art 13(b) requirements, but I think its good to have a clear delineation of powers in international law.

Though there are some interesting questions surrounding how this effects ‘imperfect referrals’ – which arguably Res 1593 could be described as one, with its exclusion of certain peoples from ICC jurisdiction. I touched on this briefly, but didn’t have the words to do it justice.

Instead I spent the remainder of the essay discussing what this shows us about the fragmentation of international law. I focused particularly on the non-hierarchical nature of international law and the implications of this when creating new institutions. I also looked at the United States using the primacy of the Security Council to undermine the ICC via resolutions.

I concluded with fragmentation being bad. Undermine new institutions and creating overlapping norms and obligations for States to abuse.

We shall see what they think!

The ICC and the Security Council Referral Power is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Strange Maps – World GDP v US States

devonwhittle — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:14:00 +0000

I just found Strange Maps and their interesting map which maps the GDPs of various countries onto their matching US states. It kinda makes you appreciate the size of the US economy relative to the rest of the world.

Strange Maps – World GDP v US States is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Thomas Barnet's future of the American military

devonwhittle — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:28:18 +0000

This video of Thomas Barnet from TED is an interesting watch. It’s good to hear/see innovative views on structuring the military, and I think it’s true some specialisation may be in order – soldiers aren’t the best people to be doing development. However, I was a bit confused by his throwaway line that the traditional soldier in the military department could never, ever be covered by ICC jurisdiction. Not sure what his rationale is there. If the soldiers are fighting wars why wouldn’t we want them bound by international criminal law?

Thomas Barnet's future of the American military is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

We're number one! (for certain values of one)

devonwhittle — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:17:48 +0000

The Olympics really brings out the worst in the media. Whether its crazed nationalist reporting or skewed medal tally reporting, its a funny time. We're number one! (for certain values of one) is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:News reporting mapped to country size Dollars = Happiness (except for high [...]

We're number one! (for certain values of one) is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

US wanted to test nerve gas on Australians

devonwhittle — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:34:53 +0000

This news is just insane. Back in the 1960sw the United States asked the Australian government if it could test some nerve gas, VX and Sarin, on 200 Australian diggers in Queensland. They had even already scoped out test sites! This is insane.

US wanted to test nerve gas on Australians is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.