(with apologies to John Winthrop ...)

September 18, 2008

American Exception

U.S. Court, Long a Beacon, Guides Fewer Nations

By ADAM LIPTAK
New York Times

WASHINGTON -- Judges around the world have long looked to the decisions of the United States Supreme Court for guidance, citing and often following them in hundreds of their own rulings since the Second World War.

But now American legal influence is waning. Even as a debate continues in the court over whether its decisions should ever cite foreign law, a diminishing number of foreign courts seem to pay attention to the writings of American justices.

"One of our great exports used to be constitutional law," said Anne-Marie Slaughter, the dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. "We are losing one of the greatest bully pulpits we have ever had."

For the rest of the story, click here: NY Times article

I blame video games.

You know, first people complained that America was taking over the world, now they're complaining that we don't have any influence. Guess we just can't win.

Who will fill this vacuum? Isn't this just the opening that TDCAA's User Forum has been looking for?

They may take our lives, but they'll never take
OUR FREEDOM!

Good idea, JB. I predict a sharp rise in the number of banjo references in foreign court opinions.