• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

U.S. offers its human rights record for U.N. review

MKULTRABOY

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 5, 2009
Messages
10,621
Reaction score
2,104
Location
In your dreams...
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Independent
U.S. offers its human rights record for U.N. review

UNITED NATIONS - The United States submitted Friday at the United Nations to unprecedented public scrutiny of its human rights record, drawing censure from friends and rivals for its policies on detention and the death penalty but also praise from allies for its candor and willingness to accept constructive criticism.

A delegation of top officials, led by Assistant Secretary of State Esther Brimmer, gave diplomats at the U.N. Human Rights Council a detailed account of U.S. human rights shortcomings and the Obama administration's efforts to redress them. It marked the first time the United States has subjected its rights record to examination before the Geneva-based council as part of a procedure that requires all states to allow their counterparts to grade their conduct.

Also of importance: Universal Periodic Review

I find that this is a show of good faith to participate, even if it means being hypocritically criticised by 'enemies'. Hopefully they were guffawed when they made their statements. They may be less willing to be open and address human rights issued if the UN's leading member did not participate. Improvements here will lead to more effectivity to address improvements there I would hope.

Thoughts?
 
Queue the "APOLOGIZING FOR AMERICA" crowd.
 
I don't really see why this is particularly special. Doesn't the US get graded for human rights by a number of other organizations, like amnesty international, how is this any different? Has this actually got any teeth?

Forget apologizing for America, if there were Americans who committed war crimes it isn't the country fault, its the criminals. And we don't need the UN to judge criminals, we have a perfectly good criminal justice apparatus right here, our government just chooses not to use it when the people violating human rights are the president or the cabinet. That's what we really ought to do, leave the UN out of it and try our war criminals ourselves.
 
The United Nationa Human Rights Council is a ****ing joke.

Some of it's members include Cuba, Russia, Thailand, Sengal, Uganda, Lybia and Saudi Arabia.

The fact that our government submitted to judgement by these countries, goes to show that we have weak and inefective leadership at the highest levels.
 
The United Nationa Human Rights Council is a ****ing joke.

Some of it's members include Cuba, Russia, Thailand, Sengal, Uganda, Lybia and Saudi Arabia.

The fact that our government submitted to judgement by these countries, goes to show that we have weak and inefective leadership at the highest levels.

Yes, these members also include the U.S., France, Spain, Belgium etc. The point is for the U.S. to not hand down judgement while keeping its own record a hush-hush secret.
 
Yes, these members also include the U.S., France, Spain, Belgium etc. The point is for the U.S. to not hand down judgement while keeping its own record a hush-hush secret.

I would like to see them take countries like Angola and Mauratania off the HRC, then pass judgement on The United States. Until then, this is a ****ing joke.
 
Shouldn't have bothered posting this ic.

What's wrong? Disappointed, because someone thinks the UN scapegoating the United States is a ****ing joke?

What fairy tale world do you live in, that made you believe that everyone would jump for joy, because the US is being scoped by the UN HRC?
 
What's wrong? Disappointed, because someone thinks the UN scapegoating the United States is a ****ing joke?

What fairy tale world do you live in, that made you believe that everyone would jump for joy, because the US is being scoped by the UN HRC?

Is it your opinion that America has done nothing wrong or is it your opinion that we shouldn't care?
 
I am sick to damn death of the I hate America bunch.

Lets take all of the people the U.S.A. have freed from bondage, murder, torture etc. and measure those numbers against any other number the blame America first bunch want, and see what comes out on top.

When Rwanda was under attacked Koffee Annon ordered the Canadian General on the ground not to stop the genocide, when it could be stopped with almost no killings.

That was a crime and he went on to be Secretary General.

Give me a break.

We really do need to deport all Illegals, and the blame America fisrt bunch with them.

We could then have a Nation run by the rule of law under the Constitution.

We would automatically be rid of the Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, and hundreds of others.
 
Is it your opinion that America has done nothing wrong or is it your opinion that we shouldn't care?

It's my opinion, that 1) America has done nothing wrong and 2) even if we had, it's nowhere close to what China, Russia, Lybia, Uganda, Senegal, Thailand and Cuba have done and are still doing and 3) Because the UNHRC is made up, mostly, of despotically ruled countries, it's a ****ing joke!
 
It's my opinion, that 1) America has done nothing wrong and 2) even if we had, it's nowhere close to what China, Russia, Lybia, Uganda, Senegal, Thailand and Cuba have done and are still doing and 3) Because the UNHRC is made up, mostly, of despotically ruled countries, it's a ****ing joke!

:lamo

Ok then, have a nice day!

This explains a lot actually. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Yes, these members also include the U.S., France, Spain, Belgium etc. The point is for the U.S. to not hand down judgement while keeping its own record a hush-hush secret.

Were any previously-secret actions disclosed, or was this simply a rehashing of what everyone already knew?
 
Were any previously-secret actions disclosed, or was this simply a rehashing of what everyone already knew?

Who cares, America has never done anything wrong! :lamo
 
U.N. Human Rights Council Takes Aim at New Target: United States - FoxNews.com

Russia urged the U.S. to abolish the death penalty. Cuba and Iran called on Washington to close Guantanamo prison and investigate alleged torture by its troops abroad. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, told the U.S. it must better promote religious tolerance. Mexico complained that racial profiling had become a common practice in some U.S. states.

I will agree with most people here that the U.S. has done a lot of good in the world concerning human rights, but that doesn't mean we don't have skeletons in the closet that can or should be addressed.

Concerning the things addressed in this quote:
- Some criminals are deserving of the death penalty, but I am still against it. I'm honestly shocked that Russia doesn't have a death penalty.
- Guantanamo prison needs to be closed. We imprison terrorists in the U.S. already. There is no reason we ever needed Gitmo. All it does is give America-bashers one more reason to hate us.
- There needs to be investigations in the allegations that troops were told not to stop torture in Iraq by Iraqis. And I'd appreciate it being proven that we never handed off suspects to other countries so they could be tortured into talking. But to be honest I'm pretty convinced it has happened.
- The government can't really do anything to promote religious tolerance of Muslims. The 9/11 attacks scarred a lot of people emotionally, and unfortunately some people just don't know the difference between a Muslim and an Islamic extremist. You can't always educate people whose minds are already made up. I'd like to hear exactly what Indonesia wants us to do. If their suggestions include integrating sharia law into our judicial system, they can screw themselves.
- And maybe if Mexico was doing it's part to keep it's citizens from entering our country illegally (not to mention upping the efforts to destroy the cartels), we wouldn't have millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. and we wouldn't have as many people racially profiling Hispanic people.
 
Let's look at some members of the UNHRC:

Angola, Burkina Faso, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria, Uganda (considering death penalty for gays), China (communist), Saudi (monarchy), Pakistan (all kinds of screwed up), Cuba (a totalitarian dictatorship), Ecuador (is their government even in place?), Mexico (still has police?) and Turkey.

There's definately a need to prioritize the US for improvement! haha

Stupid UN
 
Let's look at some members of the UNHRC:

Angola, Burkina Faso, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria, Uganda (considering death penalty for gays), China (communist), Saudi (monarchy), Pakistan (all kinds of screwed up), Cuba (a totalitarian dictatorship), Ecuador (is their government even in place?), Mexico (still has police?) and Turkey.

There's definately a need to prioritize the US for improvement! haha

Stupid UN

That's my point. You would think--given events all over the world--that the UNHRC would have bigger fish to fry.
 
Let's look at some members of the UNHRC:

Angola, Burkina Faso, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria, Uganda (considering death penalty for gays), China (communist), Saudi (monarchy), Pakistan (all kinds of screwed up), Cuba (a totalitarian dictatorship), Ecuador (is their government even in place?), Mexico (still has police?) and Turkey.

There's definately a need to prioritize the US for improvement! haha

Stupid UN

I reject the idea that "since everyone else has their flaws, we don't deserve to be criticized". No one is perfect, and that includes America. I'm one to appreciate constructive criticism. Through accepting our flaws we can improve upon them and continue to be a great role model for the world.
 
I reject the idea that "since everyone else has their flaws, we don't deserve to be criticized". No one is perfect, and that includes America. I'm one to appreciate constructive criticism. Through accepting our flaws we can improve upon them and continue to be a great role model for the world.

This isn't about improving anything. It's the usual, "beat up on the United States, because we hate their freedom", fest.
 
they seem to be making political judgements and slapping "human rights" to it. The death penalty and GITMO are not a violation of human rights. Other nations are interjecting their political opinions in the name of "human rights" to try and make America look bad and bring about a political change. It's all political. America should take action when Saudi Arabians are allowed to freely practice religion.
 
Considering the most august body in question, it's like Al Sharpton submitting his record to the k.k.k for review.
 
Considering the most august body in question, it's like Al Sharpton submitting his record to the k.k.k for review.

You know the sad thing, sometimes he does so much to discredit his own race he would actually pass review :2razz:

(I'm going to hell)
 
A bit too late. Should have happened just as Obama took office and not now that the Republicans have retaken the House.

The US is no different than any country on the planet, and should be open to any review on its human rights record. I have no doubt that 90%+ of the record is great, but no country has a perfect human rights record and especially the US.. with its history of racially motivated laws and segregation.

But as usual, the US right with the usual suspects on these boards, have and will try to make this about the UNHRC and take all focus away from the US. That they can even float the idea that because the UNHRC council has questionable human rights countries on its membership, that it is okay not to have such a review... is typical right wing arrogance ... and it plays right into the hands of those nations... why should they do anything about their human rights when the US wont even put it self under review...
 
But what if we have a legitimate concern with the KSA and Libya dictating to America the violations of human rights that they believe are wrong? It's all subjective and can be seen with these nations asking the US to close GITMO and other political things. The UNHRC has no right to pass judgement on other nations while some of the most disgusting human rights atrocities take place within member states openly and unopposed by their governments.
 
But what if we have a legitimate concern with the KSA and Libya dictating to America the violations of human rights that they believe are wrong? It's all subjective and can be seen with these nations asking the US to close GITMO and other political things. The UNHRC has no right to pass judgement on other nations while some of the most disgusting human rights atrocities take place within member states openly and unopposed by their governments.

Yeah! I mean, the police have no right to arrest me for burglary because there are murderers and rapists out there!
 
Back
Top Bottom