The conspiracy theorist (or is it just the cynic?) in me can’t help but feel that America’s panicky refusal to have anything to do with the new International Criminal Court smacks of the fear that comes with having something to hide.

Why is the US so afraid of potentially seeing its own citizens and officials brought before this court (which is, after all, largely made up of America’s western allies)? As Kofi Annan said himself, countries with good and fair judicial systems have "nothing to fear" from this court. The US is convinced that it has the fairest and best judicial system in the world. So where’s the problem?

And how will a refusal to extradite anyone sought by the court be good for either the US in particular or international justice in general? Won’t this just make the US a haven for criminals trying to avoid prosecution from the court?

And how can the US continually insist on international help for its fight against terrorism and then consistently refuse to offer its support to international efforts in other areas?

Maybe my cynicism here just stems from my anger at the fact that, after dismissing treaties on the environment, landmines and biological weapons, the US has once again seen fit to place itself above the rest of the world. "Superpower" or no, I do think there’s quite a lot to be said for working towards a common good with the other little countries on the planet. And by "common good," I do not mean "what’s good for America is good for the rest of the world."

But I get the feeling that I’m alone amongst Americans in thinking that way.