The US Government needs to take a look at itself before throwing
mud in the faces of others.
Once again, the US State Department published a report on
Wednesday on human rights practices in other countries, pointing
its fingers at other countries for their so-called human rights
abuses. It has done the same thing seven times now.
Criticizing other people while ignoring one's own problems is
hypocrisy, something the United States is guilty of on human rights
issues.
If it has real concern for human rights conditions for people
all over the world, it should set an example.
The US has indeed set an example: An example of treading on the
fundamental human rights of not only its own people, but the people
of other countries as well.
This includes the abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and in
Iraq, rampant violent crimes within its own territory,
discrimination against women, and infringements upon personal
rights and freedoms by law enforcement and judicial organs.
All these speak volumes for the human rights conditions in the
United States. Yet despite such a human rights record, the country
acts as if it were the judge of human rights for the entire world,
and had the right to educate other countries on the matter.
Acting as a "guardian" of human rights, the United States is
adopting double standards. It has never put the abuses mentioned
above into the category of human rights violations. Instead, it
accuses other countries of their abuses.
Who has given it the right to do so? Is it simply because the
United States is the only superpower in the world? If this is so,
it is lording it over other countries.
The act of reprimanding other countries for their human rights
abuses in a condescending manner does not help interaction between
countries in solving human rights problems.
If it had real concern for human rights and for an ideal world
of peace and equality, the United States should never have acted as
a superior to the rest of the world in all aspects.
Yes, the United States is superior to other countries in
military power, but not in the domain of morals and ethics.
It is inhuman to thrust down the throat of others one's own
understanding of democracy and freedom , especially using military
power.
We are in an era when democracy and peace prevail. It has become
a universally accepted principle that every country, small or
large, should enjoy equal rights in world politics. We need to
build an international environment that will enable us to solve
problems through earnest talks and negotiations.
The issuance of such a report by the US State Department goes
against this principle because it betrays its arrogance, and
attitude of superiority towards other countries.
There is no such a thing as a perfect social system, nor is
there a country completely free of human rights abuses. What makes
the difference are the efforts that a country has made or is making
to build a better system and wipe out the abuses.
If the United States really cared for the human rights
conditions of its people and other peoples, it should have worked
with other countries in a serious manner within the framework of
the United Nations to strive for the eradication of poverty, for
the rights of impoverished countries for development and for
building a better world for all human beings.
(China Daily March 10, 2006)
