[peeb]

US quits Human Rights Council | Human Rights Tribune - www.humanrights-geneva.info
Wow, "There was widespread consternation on Friday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva when the US mission gave up his observer status - a step backwards for human rights around the world"

[stupendousman]

Originally Posted by peeb 

a step backwards for human rights around the world"

Opinion, which I didn't see supported by the article in question.

What is the organization and what are it's goals? Given that the US from the get-go apparently wasn't interested, I'd guess it was an organization designed by anti-US forces to try to embarrass the US into doing what they wanted which was totally against US (and all who are sane) interests, sort of like how Kyoto was.

Need more info....

[subego]

U.S. distances itself from U.N. rights body | Reuters

Here's a more objective version.

[stupendousman]

Just as I thought.

According to Reuters, the entity that preceded the U.N. Human Rights Council was "widely discredited" and that the current Council is "under the control of a bloc of Islamic and African countries, which have a majority when backed by their frequent allies Russia, China and Cuba" which no doubt is using the mantle of "human rights" for political gain.

Probably no real big loss as far as true "human rights" go. If China is one of the parties in charge, and they engage in forced abortion, I don't think I'd want to be a part of any kind of "human rights" they'd want to force on others.

Kudos to the US for doing the right thing!

[ghporter]

Let's look at the wonderful human rights record of ALL the members of the UN Human Rights Council, shall we?
Membership by regional group

Oh yeah, they're all a bunch of staunch supporters of freedom and human rights. Every single one of them.

[subego]

Originally Posted by stupendousman 

According to Reuters... the current Council is "under the control of a bloc of Islamic and African countries, which have a majority when backed by their frequent allies Russia, China and Cuba" which no doubt is using the mantle of "human rights" for political gain.

According to critics according to Reuters.

[/nitpick]



I would likely agree with those critics, but since I presented the story as objective, I just wanted to make sure the distinction is clear.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by peeb 

US quits Human Rights Council | Human Rights Tribune - www.humanrights-geneva.info
Wow, "There was widespread consternation on Friday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva when the US mission gave up his observer status - a step backwards for human rights around the world"

Is this a Rule 8 Violation™ or does "Wow" count as peeb's opinion/comment?

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Is this a Rule 8 Violation™ or does "Wow" count as peeb's opinion/comment?

He's been pretty much silenced either way. We've left a Human Rights collective with an atrocious human rights record.

Next up, Michigan man sees red-hot burner and decides not to touch it.

Those zany Michiganders.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by ebuddy 

He's been pretty much silenced either way. We've left a Human Rights collective with an atrocious human rights record.

Next up, Michigan man sees red-hot burner and decides not to touch it.

Those zany Michiganders.

We're "Michiganians", not silly geese. But you're right; the Human Rights Council stopped being very relevant to anything when Libya got a seat on it. It's not gotten any better since, and no amount of sensationalist journalism can make it better, nor make our exit from it "bad" for anyone.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Let's look at the wonderful human rights record of ALL the members of the UN Human Rights Council, shall we?
Membership by regional group

Oh yeah, they're all a bunch of staunch supporters of freedom and human rights. Every single one of them.

Canada 2009
France 2008
Germany 2009
Italy 2010
Netherlands 2010
Switzerland 2009
United Kingdom 2008

[subego]

I think that UN website is a human rights violation.

Canada: What color background should we have for this blue text?
France: Bleu?
Canada: GENIUS!

[subego]

Hampstor's apparently at WWDC today.

[Kerrigan]

Oh no, once again America is scapegoated for all the horrid human rights abuses around the world that are perpetrated by unintelligent third-world barbarians but which are conveniently blamed by a chorus of liberals on the United States despite the fact that it is a far more dynamic and open than many of its detractors.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Oh no, once again America is scapegoated for all the horrid human rights abuses around the world that are perpetrated by unintelligent third-world barbarians but which are conveniently blamed by a chorus of liberals on the United States despite the fact that it is a far more dynamic and open than many of its detractors.

Did you read the article? The US is not being scapegoated, it has voluntarily withdrawn because it does not like being criticized for its human rights abuses. Whether or no it is better than Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights is not, frankly, of much comfort to me.

[Kerrigan]

You said that the US "couldn't take the heat" and there is a implication here of the US not being willing or able to fulfill its human rights duties. And this vague equivocation with Saudi Arabia is odd and baseless. So here again, you are cheaply implying that the US is somehow a human rights offender based on your biased and dubious link.

Is it more useful to spend your time blaming the US for everything, or should you be spending that effort bringing attention to the massive violations perpetrated by numerous tinpot dictatorships?

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Is it more useful to spend your time blaming the US for everything, or should you be spending that effort bringing attention to the massive violations perpetrated by numerous tinpot dictatorships?

So... why does the U.S. continue supporting countries with grievous human rights violations? Oh, right, money.

On a side note, China was caught red handed AGAIN hacking US and allied computers. The U.S. will continue its plan of doing absolutely nothing.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

there is a implication here of the US not being willing or able to fulfill its human rights duties.

I think if nothing else we can agree that the US is not willing or able to fulfill its human rights duties

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Is it more useful to spend your time blaming the US for everything, or should you be spending that effort bringing attention to the massive violations perpetrated by numerous tinpot dictatorships?

There is this strange argument that keeps being used that while there are any countries that are even a little more abusive and less respectful of human rights, any attempt to hold the US to international standards is somehow misplaced. How odd.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by peeb 

I think if nothing else we can agree that the US is not willing or able to fulfill its human rights duties

I'll remember that the next time you rail on the US for removing tryrants who don't allow women the most basic of freedoms, rape wives and children of dissenters, and hang gay people.

There is this strange argument that keeps being used that while there are any countries that are even a little more abusive and less respectful of human rights, any attempt to hold the US to international standards is somehow misplaced. How odd.

What International standard of human rights is the US failing to uphold??? Oh, that's right I'm still on ignore since the last time you left your ideological confusion hanging out. Maybe someone else can address it.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

So... why does the U.S. continue supporting countries with grievous human rights violations? Oh, right, money.

Maybe it's diplomacy. We were doing this for Iraq too and it didn't work. Maybe it's time to invade. I guess it all depends on how much you want those rights-hating tyrants out of power.

On a side note, China was caught red handed AGAIN hacking US and allied computers. The U.S. will continue its plan of doing absolutely nothing.

I'll give you one guess as to who depends on Middle East oil more than the US.

[art_director]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

On a side note, China was caught red handed AGAIN hacking US and allied computers. The U.S. will continue its plan of doing absolutely nothing.

If you're speaking of the most recent report it was found to be inaccurate. The attacks came through Chinese servers but originated elsewhere. I don't recall where exactly but it was a nation friendly to the US and the attacks were to have been carried out by non-gov personel.

I love these stories because they never point t the insecurity of our systems, only at the perpetrators. We should be looking more at those who don;t seem to be able to protect their computers.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

We're "Michiganians", not silly geese.

Really?!?! I always remember "Michigander" being used.

The Gov't of Michigan claims no official word

Though Google returns 201,000 returns for "Michigander" and only 20,000 for "Michiganian".

Wikipedia is no help: Michigander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ghporter]

Mabye "Michiganian" is more elitist than I thought... I still like the phrase "not silly geese." But you have to admit, we're a pretty silly lot.