In Prime Minister Carney’s acclaimed Davos speech, he talked about a “rupture” in the rules-based international order that we had prospered under for most of a century. He stated in particular how “American hegemony” had contributed to this orderly world.

But he also pointed out that this order was “partially false, that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient.” He didn’t name names but we can safely assume that he included the U.S. among the delinquent “strongest.”

American behaviour was exasperating for those of us who believed in a world based on democratic values and human rights, on the rule of law. The U.S. stood for those values—they are found in its constitution—and generally defended them. Yet at times it did terrible things, even as it claimed, and may very well have believed, it was in fact defending those values. The United States seemed to be the indispensable nation, but a maddening one.

However, as the PM said, those days are over. The good guys have left the White House and thugs have taken over—the Trump gang. These guys have little interest in standing with the free nations for a world order based on humanity’s better instincts. Indeed, the primary goal of the Trump administration seems to be indulging the ego and the pocketbook of the president.

Their contempt for the world’s welfare is well illustrated by their attitude toward the environment. They vigorously promote the use of fossil fuels at home and abroad while, with similar vigour, attacking renewable energy. They have, of course, opted out of the Paris agreement.

They show the same contempt for international justice. On Monday, U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio formally launched a campaign to destroy the international criminal court (ICC). Rubio claims the court interferes with U.S. military and law enforcement operations at the risk of American sovereignty.

He invoked images of U.S. leaders being “dragged before an international court” at the mercy of foreign judges. This is bullshit. The ICC can only investigate crimes committed in states that are party to the treaty that established the ICC, and the United States has not ratified the treaty.

Nonetheless, Rubio vowed to use “all the tools at our government’s disposal” to “dismantle the ICC, brick by brick.” He has called on other nations to assist, and threatened to punish nations that don’t.

The Trump administration had already taken action against ICC staffers, including sanctions against Canadian judge Kimberly Prost over her work on a case involving American troops in Afghanistan. The sanctions make life and work difficult for the jurist. She is unable to use credit cards, transfer money or book everyday services.

Surprisingly, our government has done nothing to support Prost or to protest the American actions. This is disappointing both for the failure to support our judge and to oppose blatant interference in the judicial process, particularly considering that Canada was involved in the founding of the Court.

Perhaps the prime minister is just keeping on the good side of President Trump. If that’s the case, he might be reminded of pertinent words in his Davos speech, “There is a strong tendency for countries to go along to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won’t.”

No, Prime Minister Carney, it won’t. And it won’t curb the Trump administration’s sabotaging of global justice. As you pointed out, they aren’t just dismantling the ICC “brick by brick,” but the entire rules-based international order that grew out of the ashes of World War II.