But the United States flipped a finger at the international justice courts, smirked when the security council asked them to sit out on a hearing about their illegal invasion and then used the 'veto threat technique' on anything they were allowed to sit on - making actions essentially useless.

When fined, the Bush administration refused to pay.

It should be noted that the British government has also broken international law with their invasion of Afghanistan which caused public outrage, the resignation of countless officials (including the governments advisory on international law) and had a knock-on of justifying to some extent the US' joint movement. Our government paid for it dearly by losing their majority in the House of Commons and have the media harrassing the PM for an early step down (which he conceded to do last year and we wait patiently for him to follow through).

We have world police. The US led a vigilante movement. I wish I could be prouder of my own government for not following like a pet dog.

Those that argue the UN doesn't have enough power - it has as much as we give it. People lose faith in it being able to do something and it will fail to do it. The more I partake in analysing and aiding its workings (support for crucial UN NGO's, UN youth assembly 2001-2002 - where I saw Kofi Anan himself - and helping train future Youth Assembly members) the more I see it is an idealists solution to an exceedingly conceited and delusional world.

End rant!

Yhorian.