United States sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and threats toward the International Court of Justice (ICJ) expose the fragility of the post-WWII liberal international order. This aggressive pushback reveals a "rules-based order" that was never universally egalitarian, but rather a structure of neo-imperial hegemony designed to exempt Western powers and their allies from accountability.

The Myth of Universal Jurisdiction vs. American Exceptionalism

Neo-imperialism relies on a double standard: international law is aggressively weaponized against geopolitical adversaries (such as heads of state in the Global South), but rejected as an "intolerable threat to sovereignty" when applied to Washington or its strategic partners like Israel.

Selective Enforcement: The U.S. previously voiced support for the ICC when it targeted figures like Vladimir Putin, but shifted to active hostility and punitive measures when the court pursued actions regarding Afghanistan or issued arrest warrants for Israeli leadership over conduct in Gaza.

Coercive Economic Statecraft: By utilizing Treasury designations, asset freezes, and visa bans against top judicial officials—including the ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane—the U.S. treats global juridical bodies as hostile entities rather than impartial organs of justice.