General Discussion

Uncle Joe

(58,600 posts) Sat Jun 27, 2015, 02:33 PM Jun 2015

Glass Houses and Stuff

http://all-len-all.com/china-blasts-us-for-brazen-human-rights-abuses-at-home-and-abroad/

In a report that covers everything from police violence to income inequality to government surveillance, China has blasted the United States for its “grim problems of racial discrimination,” use of “cruel tortures indiscriminately,” and “terrible human-rights record.”

The lengthy report, carried by the official Xinhua news agency and issued on Friday in response to U.S. criticism of China’s human rights record, says the U.S. is “haunted by spreading guns,” while suffering from “serious racial bias…in the police and justice systems.”

“On June 25 local time, the State Department of the United States released its country reports on human rights practices once again, making comments on the human rights situations in many countries while showing not a bit of regret for or intention to improve its own terrible human rights record,” it reads. “Plenty of facts show that, in 2014, the U.S., a self-proclaimed human rights defender, saw no improvements in its existent human rights issues, but reported numerous new problems.”

The Chinese report charges that “money is a deciding factor in the U.S. politics, and the U.S. citizens’ political rights were not properly protected.” It also states that “minority groups and Indigenous people are subject to unfairness in environment, election, health care, housing, education and other fields.”

(snip)

There is more on the link.

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Glass Houses and Stuff (Original Post) Uncle Joe Jun 2015 OP

But China has more of its people incarcerated, right? kentuck Jun 2015 #1

and China's human rights record ain't so great Liberal_in_LA Jun 2015 #10

No, it's not and not expected to given the government..we claim lots of exceptionalism and Jefferson23 Jun 2015 #11

When we don't clean up our own backyard, other abusers get to say this stuff. Jefferson23 Jun 2015 #2

Thanks, Jefferson. Uncle Joe Jun 2015 #5

Thanks. The OP could have used The Shock Doctrine as a reference too. Jefferson23 Jun 2015 #9

That was a brilliant work by Naomi Klein. Uncle Joe Jun 2015 #12

This week is proof that we're evolving in the right direction lunatica Jun 2015 #3

Keep criticizing human right abuses. It opens us up to return criticism which is fine too. pampango Jun 2015 #4

I agree with your take on it, pampango. Uncle Joe Jun 2015 #7

Uncle Joe !!! - WASSUP ??? WillyT Jun 2015 #6

WillyT what's happening??? Uncle Joe Jun 2015 #8

kentuck

(111,111 posts)

1. But China has more of its people incarcerated, right?

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 04:08 PM

Jun 2015

Really?

Liberal_in_LA

(44,397 posts)

10. and China's human rights record ain't so great

Reply to kentuck (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 05:33 PM

Jun 2015

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

11. No, it's not and not expected to given the government..we claim lots of exceptionalism and

Reply to Liberal_in_LA (Reply #10)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 05:36 PM

Jun 2015

point fingers when we have an agenda.

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

2. When we don't clean up our own backyard, other abusers get to say this stuff.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 04:20 PM

Jun 2015

Just the way it is, we don't have much to say in response..GW and his regime
helped a lot in that sense..but not exclusively.

On edit: Nice to see you posting again, Unlce Joe.

Uncle Joe

(58,600 posts)

5. Thanks, Jefferson.

Reply to Jefferson23 (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 04:36 PM

Jun 2015

It's good to see you as well.

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

9. Thanks. The OP could have used The Shock Doctrine as a reference too.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Reply #5)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 05:30 PM

Jun 2015

The brilliant work by Naomi Klein was an eye opener and what a massive
connect the dots or what?

Below is another example of how much we need to clean up:

US Police Killings Violate International Law

Glen Ford: Amnesty International finds all 50 states and Washington, DC, fail to comply with international law and standards on the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers

- June 23, 2015

Bio

Glen Ford is a distinguished radio-show host and commentator. In 1977, Ford co-launched, produced and hosted America's Black Forum, the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial television. In 1987, Ford launched Rap It Up, the first nationally syndicated Hip Hop music show, broadcast on 65 radio stations. Ford co-founded the Black Commentator in 2002 and in 2006 he launched the Black Agenda Report. Ford is also the author of The Big Lie: An Analysis of U.S. Media Coverage of the Grenada Invasion.

Transcript

US Police Killings Violate International LawSHARMINI PERIES, EXEC. PRODUCER, TRNN: This is the Glen Ford report on The Real News Network. I'm Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore.

Hundreds of men and women are killed by the police each year across the United States. No one knows exactly how many because the United States does not keep such stats, we are told. The series of lethal attacks we have seen on African-Americans by police, such as Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina, or Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, these recent attacks have prompted Amnesty International to issue a report that says 50 states and Washington, DC fail to comply with international law and standards on the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers.

Here to discuss the report is Glen Ford. Glen is the executive editor of the Black Agenda Report. Glen, thank you for joining us today.

GLEN FORD, EXEC. EDITOR, BLACK AGENDA REPORT: Thank you for the opportunity.

PERIES: Glen, give us a take on the report.

FORD: Well, I think the Amnesty report goes beyond showing that the crimes committed against people of all colors in the United States, not rooted in a few bad apples in the barrel. The situation is such that most American states, none of them actually, as you mentioned, measure up to the standards of international law. But a huge number of them don't even measure up to U.S. Constitutional standards or have no laws at all covering various contingencies in which the police might use their weapons.

And I think it's best to point out right up front that when we speak of international law we're not talking about something that is elective. It's not a suggestion from people around the world. We're talking about international laws that the U.S. has signed by treaty, and therefore have the force of U.S. law. International law says that in terms of police use of deadly force, that lethal force should only be used to protect the life of the police officer or others if it is in imminent danger, and that lethal force must always be absolutely a last resort.

But of course, no state in the United States lives up to that standard. In fact, nine states have no laws at all regarding lethal use of force by police. Nine other states allow lethal force to put down a riot, which means that all that a state has to do is declare that it's in the midst of a riotous situation, and the Constitution goes right out the window. There are 22 states that allow guards to kill prison inmates if the inmates are trying to escape, which means that in those 22 states inmates have no protection under the law. They have in fact no right to life under the law in those states.

in full: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=14083

Uncle Joe

(58,600 posts)

12. That was a brilliant work by Naomi Klein.

Reply to Jefferson23 (Reply #9)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 06:46 PM

Jun 2015

Thanks for the addition, Jefferson.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)

3. This week is proof that we're evolving in the right direction

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 04:26 PM

Jun 2015

Last week I would have agreed with China. But I'm very proud that we're a country that changes, and where it keeps hell freezing over.

pampango

(24,692 posts)

4. Keep criticizing human right abuses. It opens us up to return criticism which is fine too.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jun 27, 2015, 04:27 PM

Jun 2015

Mutual criticism is preferable (given that no country is perfect) to an unspoken agreement that "I won't criticize your human rights abuses if you don't criticize mine."