Topic: Un Treaties

Undersecretary Wendy Sherman explains the strategy of using a UN Security Council resolution to endorse the Iran deal before the U.S. Congress can vote. The hosts explain that this "fancy footwork" bypasses the Constitutional requirement for a two-thirds Senate majority for treaties, likely resulting in an executive order that lasts for the remainder of the Obama presidency.

A Dutch representative at a Brookings Institute conference questioned how U.S. marijuana legalization affects international treaty obligations. Professor Greves responded that international treaties generally bind the federal government but not individual states. The segment references a 1972 treaty binding 184 countries and notes that Bolivia recently denounced the treaty to reiterate its reservation regarding cocaine production.

The hosts discuss the U.S. Senate's rejection of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They play a clip of Chris Matthews on MSNBC criticizing opponents of the treaty. Adam Curry argues that the treaty would have ceded U.S. sovereignty to the UN, allowing international bodies to define disability standards for American families.

Senator Mike Lee expresses concern that the UN disability treaty could allow a Geneva-based committee to interfere with homeschooling and parental rights in the U.S. The hosts further discuss the impracticality of international disability mandates, such as wheelchair ramps for historical sites like the Eiffel Tower, and warn of future treaties targeting internet freedom.

The Aurora shooting is theorized to be a State Department operation intended to facilitate the UN Arms Transfer Treaty. The discussion also covers the pulling of the "Gangster Squad" movie trailer, which featured a theater shooting scene, and the involvement of the Department of Homeland Security in issuing safety checklists to cinemas nationwide.

The Senate is debating the UN Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), which critics argue subordinates U.S. sovereignty to international law. Hillary Clinton testified in favor of the treaty, dismissing concerns about UN taxes as "black helicopter" conspiracy theories. Senator Mike Lee of Utah is highlighted as a primary opponent of the agreement.

Emergency rooms across the U.S. are reporting severe shortages of critical drugs like epinephrine and lidocaine, forcing hospitals to adopt "alternate protocols." Separately, an international treaty banning cluster bombs went into effect, though major powers including the U.S., Russia, Israel, China, and India refused to sign. The hosts note the selective media framing of these issues on programs like Democracy Now!.