Since its founding, the United States has defined itself as the supreme
protector of freedom throughout the world, pointing to its Constitution
as the model of law to ensure democracy at home and to protect human
rights internationally. Although the United States has consistently
emphasized the importance of the international legal system, it has
simultaneously distanced itself from many established principles of
international law and the institutions that implement them. In fact, the
American government has attempted to unilaterally reshape certain
doctrines of international law while disregarding others, such as
provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the prohibition on torture.
America's selective self-exemption, Natsu Taylor Saito argues,
undermines not only specific legal institutions and norms, but leads to
a decreased effectiveness of the global rule of law. Meeting the Enemy
is a pointed look at why the United States' frequent--if
selective--disregard of international law and institutions is met with
such high levels of approval, or at least complacency, by the American
public.