Why Powerful Countries Get Away With Breaking International Law

Why do countries follow international law when there is no global police? And why do superpowers like the US, Russia and China break the rules and get away with it?

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network, we sit down with Professor Kal Raustiala, international law expert at UCLA.

We discuss why no new nation states are being formed in the 21st century, whether the UN Security Council needs a complete restructure, the veto power of the permanent five, China's vision for a new world order, the nine dash line and the South China Sea, US tariffs on China, who should write the rules for AI and the piracy paradox: why the fashion industry actually benefits from being copied.

Kal Raustiala is a professor of international law at UCLA and director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. He is the author of The Absolutely Indispensable Man, the acclaimed biography of Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN diplomat Ralph Bunche, and co-author of The Knockoff Economy.

00:00 Introduction
01:23 The Repercussions of Breaking International Law
02:54 Is There a System That Prevents Powerful Countries from Taking Over Smaller Ones?
04:27 Is There a Pattern of More Powerful Countries Enforcing Their Will?
07:35 The World Map Looks Finished: Why Is It Now So Difficult for New States to Form?
11:18 Diplomats of the 20th Century vs Diplomats Today
13:25 What Does the UN Do That Affects People’s Everyday Lives?
16:30 Do the Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council Have Too Much Power?
19:48 Are Multilateral Organisations Doing Meaningful Work?
22:40 The “Piracy Paradox”: Why Is Copying a Dress Acceptable Until a Logo Is Added?
25:45 Can Piracy Lead to Better Creative Output in the Media Industry?
27:45 Could US Tariffs Affect China’s Large Knock-Off Market?
30:03 China Claims to Offer a Fairer Way of Running the World. Should Other Countries Trust It?
33:27 The South China Sea: Can a Country Own an Ocean?
36:03 AI Is Being Built by a Handful of Companies. Who Should Make the Rules?
38:24 With Everything Happening in the World, What Can Young People Look Forward To?
40:30 What Belief About How the World Is Run Have You Abandoned?

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