Governments are the only arbiters of the law within their own borders, where they have a monopoly on the use of force, and make deals with other governments so individual citizens of any country can’t sue governments for their actions. Individual citizens can be sued, corporations can be sued, but governments can’t be sued.
But governments don’t act, the individuals in the governments do, and they often don’t have their citizens’ interests in mind when they act. They act for the benefit of special interests. When average people are hurt because of the actions done for the benefit of the few, the few don’t want them to be able to receive compensation, and they certainly don’t want to be held accountable personally. Otherwise the prisons would be filled with presidents, politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists from all over the world.
“The White House has come out against the legislation, because of what it claims would be dangerous precedent that could erode the legal system of sovereign immunity.
“If we open up the possibility that individuals and the United States can routinely start suing other governments, then we are also opening up the United States to being continually sued by individuals in other countries,” Obama said in an interview with CBS broadcast early Tuesday.”
