1/ Since international law & tribunals are in the news, it's a good time to review what happened when the International Court of Justice ruled that the Reagan CIA had violated the law, and the US Govt simply declared it would ignore the ruling & was immune from the judgment.
2/ In the early 1980s, the CIA, under Reagan, decided it would overthrow the government of Nicaragua. This was illegal because it lacked Congressional approval. They did it anyway. One of the steps CIA took was to put mines in the harbors of Nicaragua, endangering civilian boats.
3/ When Congress found out that the Reagan administration was using the CIA to overthrow the Nicaraguan government, even right-wing lawmakers were furious. Barry Goldwater vehemently denounced the program as illegal and immoral politico.com/story/2017/04/…
4/ In response, Congress enacted a law that explicitly barred the Reagan administration from funding Nicaraguan rebels. Reagan ignored that law - broke it - and sold dangerous arms to Iran, and then secretly funneled that money to the rebels. That became the Iran/contra scandal.
5/ A major investigation ensued. Numerous Reagan officials were indicted, and some convicted. The investigation threatened to engulf George Bush I, who by then was President. Fortunately for him, he used his pardon power to protect his cronies & thus himself from investigation. 
6/ Beyond the domestic investigation, Nicaragua sued the US in the International Court of Justice, which ruled against the US, finding that the mining of harbors was illegal. The court ordered the US to pay compensation to Nicaragua. The US refused, declaring itself immune.
7/ At first, the Reagan administration said it was declaring itself immune only in this case because it disagreed with the legal proceedings, but that it reserved the right to continue to recognize the World Court as valid (for use against its enemies) washingtonpost.com/archive/politi…
8/ Eventually, though, the US simply decided to be honest: that it would refuse to comply with the judgment of the International Court of Justice - which it had previously recognized as valid - simply because it could. (And, of course, it blamed Russia) theguardian.com/world/1986/jun…
9/ Anyway, as we talk about things like rogue regimes, "meddling," lawless presidents, abusing the pardon power to protect cronies and even oneself from investigation, and abusing superior power to immunize oneself from international law, this seems like an instructive case.
10/ In sum: as we watch life-long GOP operatives float across cable news screens flamboyantly declaring their shock and horror and indignation, it's good to recall that at least some of this, if not most of it, is indeed quite - what's the word? - ah: normal.
