Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?

The International Criminal Court claims authority over Americans for actions that the United States does not define as “crimes.” In short, the Twenty-First Century is witnessing an epic struggle between the forces of global governance and American constitutional democracy. Transnational progressives and transnational pragmatists in the UN, EU, post-modern states of Europe, NGOs, corporations, prominent foundations, and most importantly, in America’s leading elites, seek to establish “global governance.” Further, they understand that in order to achieve global governance, American sovereignty must be subordinated to the “global rule of law.” The U.S. Constitution must incorporate “evolving norms of international law.” Sovereignty or Submission examines this process with crystalline clarity and alerts the American public to the danger ahead.

Global governance seeks legitimacy not in democracy, but in a partisan interpretation of human rights. It would shift power from democracies (U.S., Israel, India) to post-democratic authorities, such as the judges of the International Criminal Court. Global governance is a new political form (a rival to liberal democracy), that is already a significant actor on the world stage. America faces serious challenges from radical Islam and a rising China. Simultaneously, it faces a third challenge (global governance) that is internal to the democratic world; is non-violent; but nonetheless threatens constitutional self-government. Although it seems unlikely that the utopian goals of the globalists could be fully achieved, if they continue to obtain a wide spread influence over mainstream elite opinion, they could disable and disarm democratic self-government at home and abroad. The result would be the slow suicide of American liberal democracy. Whichever side prevails, the existential conflict?global governance versus American sovereignty (and democratic self-government in general) will be at the heart of world politics as far as the eye can see.

John Fonte joined the Hudson Institute in March 1999 as a senior fellow and director of the Center for American Common Culture. Based in Washington D.C., the Center provides analysis and policy advice on civic education, citizenship, and issues concerning the interplay of national identity, the assimilation of immigrants, global organizations, and the future of American liberal democracy.

Dr. Fonte has been a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute where he directed the Committee to Review National Standards under the chairmanship of Lynne V. Cheney. He also served as a senior researcher at the U.S. Department of Education and a program administrator at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). He is currently on the Board of the American Council for Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).

Fonte has testified before Congress on immigration, assimilation, citizenship, citizenship naturalization and on civil rights issues. He has served as a consultant for the Texas Education Agency, the Virginia Department of Education, the California Academic Standards Commission, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania. He was a member of the steering committee for the congressionally-mandated National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) which issued the ?nations report card on civics and government.

He served as principal advisor for CIVITAS: A Framework for Civic Education funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, and he was appointed by the general editor to write the chapter on The Federalist Papers. He has taught at the higher education and secondary school levels. He received his Ph.D. in World History from the University of Chicago, and his M.A. and B.A. in History from the University of Arizona.

Fontes articles and essays on citizenship, history, civic education, patriotism, assimilation, civil rights, global organizations, American sovereignty, and liberal democracy have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Commentary, Orbis, National Review, The National Interest, Policy Review, American Enterprise, Transaction, Academic Questions, American Legion Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Diego Union-Tribune; as well as internationally, in LeFigaro (France), in Nativ (Israel), in Opinio (Netherlands), Perfiles Liberales (Mexico), Policy (Australia), Review (Australia), The Weekend Australian (Australia), and the National Post (Canada). He is co-editor of Education for Americas Role in World Affairs (University Press), a book on civic and world affairs education used in universities and teacher training institutes.

He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Voice of America, News Talk TV, Bloomberg TV, the Armstrong Williams Show, as well as numerous radio programs throughout the country including National Public Radio. His ideas on democratic sovereignty and international law were cited in the annual New York Times Magazines ?Year in Ideas as among the most noteworthy of 2004.