Secretary of State Kerry has announced that he plans to sign the UN Arms Trade Treaty. As we speak, conservative pundits and bloggers are going into apoplexy over it. Frankly, I find the whole thing to be a colossal waste of time.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1957 that a treaty cannot override constitutional protections. That includes the right to keep and bear arms. In addition, the administration has accepted certain “redlines” prohibiting infringements on domestic ownership of arms.
Then there’s the question of getting 2/3 of the Senate to ratify this. Even under the current political math, I don’t see that happening.
The reason I don’t care for the treaty is that it’s a steaming pile of hypocrisy for us to ratify it. Outside the Soviet Union, we’ve historically been one of the biggest suppliers of arms to rogue states and organizations. Nicaragua? Liberia? Sudan? Mobutu Soko’s regime in the DRC? The Mujahideen Taliban? We armed them.
Then there are the 2,000 weapons smuggled to the Sinaloa cartel on this administration’s watch. In no conceivable way do we occupy the moral high ground on this one.