The Courts Were Legit Until They Weren't In 2023, the ICC issued a warrant for Vladimir Putin and Washington applauded. In 2024, the ICJ found a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and ruled the occupation unlawful, and the ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. In 2025, the United States sanctioned ICC officials instead of honoring the court it had praised.
“You have a great Substack this week”
Still feels like a massive honor just for George Saunders to be publishing on Substack, let alone be speaking of it on the big shows.
You always own your intellectual property, mailing list, and subscriber payments. With full editorial control and no gatekeepers, you can do the work you most believe in.
In a few hours, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced—and I have zero interest in the result.
There was a time when I took this award (and many others like it) seriously. But, frankly, the Powerball lottery is now a more reliable indicator of merit. At least the lottery isn’t run based on score-settling, favor-trading, and empty posturing.
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