Quote from: Teemowork on May 22, 2017, 12:43:29 PM

If something is really a "crime against humanity", I'm sure the sovereign country in which the crime took place has no problems punishing the individual.

Unfortunately, that is simply not the case.

Have you ever heard of "grinding the poor" or the economic exploitation of children?

In the poorest of countries, where the laws and legal systems are less developed, you will find predators exploiting children.

To make the claim that "sovereign countries have no problem punishing these individuals" is to bury one's head in the sand.  It's ignorant and completely out of step with reality.

If you’re 18 through 20 years of age and you have the written consent of your parents or guardian (parent or guardian must be on board), you can purchase beer or wine for yourself only when the ship is sailing in international waters (except on Alaska and Hawai‘i cruises where you must be 21 years of age to consume or purchase alcohol of any kind).* If you want to gamble in our casinos, you must have a valid ID showing you are 18 years or older. If a Guest under the age of 18 wins in the casino and cannot provide proof of age, he or she will not be paid the winnings. There is no casino on Pride of America.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES POLICY
The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on all Celebrity ships is 21.
• However, on ships in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America, where the legal drinking age is lower than 21, a parent who is sailing with his or her son(s) and/or daughter(s) who is between the ages of 18 and 20, may sign a waiver allowing the 18 to 20 year-old to consume alcoholic beverages.
• The 18 to 20 year-old must agree to comply with Celebrity’s policies, including among other things, agreeing to not provide alcoholic beverages to any other person, regardless of age. Restrictions apply, and this policy is subject to change without notice.
 • An individual’s age on the date of sailing determines his or her status for the entire cruise vacation.
• Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and returned to guests on the last day of the sailing. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage, etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Celebrity’s Guest Conduct Policy may be enforced up to, and including, disembarkation if a guest violates any alcohol policy. Guests under the age of 21 will not have alcohol returned to them.

Basically, if you allow jurisdiction to expand beyond location in the world (especially to people who aren't wearing a uniform or officially representing their own country), things get messy.

Subjective laws WILL get made.

Whereas, if you didn't allow that type of jurisdiction coverage, it doesn't matter how corrupt politicians get, they can't chase you to the ends of the earth and impose every single policy regardless of your physical location.

Also, is it true that international waters have no laws?  What if some woman is on a ship (without any country flag on it) and has an abortion.  Would that be a loophole if she resides in a country where abortion was ruled illegal?  Because if that was the case, you are going to have a ton of people making businesses out of that just to provide for people who want to evade laws they don't like in their own country

As for your abortion example, yeah, that looks like a loophole. One which will probably get plugged once attention is drawn to it.

Stateless citizens on pirate ships will start up their own casinos, abortion clinics, illegal drug shops, brothels, all on a giant ship in international waters. Haha, imagine that...

The US has lost much of the "influence" it used to have in the world.

There was a time when other countries wouldn't dare cross the US with regard to these matters.

Those numb-nuts in the DPRK might well deserve to rot in prison for disregarding US warnings of entering the country, but can you imagine if the US had the will that it used to back in the day?

The DPRK wouldn't be playing these games.