The Chinese are in America and President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao agree to a dialogue on human rights although they haven't said which countries human rights are up for discussion.
In 2007, China issued 'the Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007' in response to the 'Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007' issued by the US Department of State which highlighted China's abhorrent human rights record including unlawful deprivation of life, disappearances and use of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
The Information Office of China's State Council listed a multitude of cases to show the human rights situation in the United States and its violation of human rights in other countries including:
the increase of violent crime in the United States
lax gun laws resulting in tens of thousands of gun deaths every year
abusive law enforcement officers
the highest inmates per population ratio in the world
the financial restraints on anybody other than millionaires seeking the US presidency
how one out of eight US citizens lives in poverty
the disproportionate wealth distribution
how racial discrimination is a deep-rooted social illness
the notorious record of trampling on the sovereignty of and violating human rights in other countries.
The report ends: 'It is high time for the US government to face its own human rights problems with courage and give up the unwise practices of applying double standards on human rights issues'.
The dialogue will go along the lines of 'If we don't mention Tibet, torture or citizen surveillance do you promise not to mention Iraq, Guantanamo Bay or spying on UN members?'
12 comments:
lucy,
interesting dialog. for decades religion has been used by national leaders to manipulate the masses and spur them into action.
now it seems human rights is the new religion...
if you had to leave the UK and your only choices were to live in china or the usa what would you choose? before answering lets assume your are fluent in chinese languages.
china:
- no guns in the populace
- little influence by religion
- small corporate presence
- very efficiently run government
- not imperialistic
- some fashion issues (those funky square gray suits...)
usa:
- imperialsts by nature
- guns Guns GUNS
- destroyed the environment
- reglious psychos
- greedy capitalistic bastards
- launched society on the shoulders of slaves
- only country to use atomic weapons
- caused the great recession
- re-elected W
- talk radio
- pickup trucks and rednecks
- worst health care system in the world
- only take 35% via federal taxes
seems like an easy choice: Ni ha.
q
I take your point, Q!
(However, I'd take issue with your statement that there is "small corporate presence" in China. There is massive corporate presence in China now. Their 'open door' policy has paved the way for a huge amount of foreign investment - one of the main reasons behind their impressive recent economic growth).
Gee, Q, I've never seen anything from you that reveals so much truth about America. Well done!
Will you show your list of U.S. shortcomings to your friends, kind of spread the news?
Who knows, you might start a revolution, save your country, become a real American hero!
I only hope in his tour of the United States, Hu doesn't turn it into a spectacle the way Kruschev did back in '59.
David,
No words for China?
Q
Ok, how about this...
Pick China or Australia:
See China above.
Australia
- alcoholism issue
- high rape crime rate
- high assault crime rate
- built on shoulders of aboriginal suffering
- improper treatment of immigrant detainees including: children held in detention, prolonged and indefinite periods of detention and dilapidated detention centers
- deforrestation of 13% (and growing) of australia
- 1 in 7 children live in poverty
- weak military (dependent on other nations for security)
- continued embedded government racism against Aboriginal peoples built
- navy using ocean to dump chemical weapons
- no controls to prevent dumping toxic wastes into landfills
- spills and license breaches at uranium mines
- small economy
- Tasmania is leading supplier of illegal opiates
- insignificant culinary arts
- minor role world leadership (second tier)
Can we add...
- crap at cricket? ;)
If it was only USA or China then it's no choice q, i would pick America everytime. Not the centre states though, somewhere down the side but near the top, Maine or Vermont and anywhere else i would have to look at a map. I saw a show about something happening in Montana and that state looks nice. Lots of trees and lakes.
I'd like to add to the crapness at cricket with deadly spiders, sharks, jellyfish, snakes, crocodiles and dingo's. Oh, and Russell Crowe.
Gee, Q, you obviously got Australia mixed up with Austria. It's a common problem in America.
What's even more common is that most Americans don't know that other countries exist and think that they are the centre of the universe.
Gee, Greasy, you sure take your vendetta role seriously. I commend you on your single-mindedness even though your mind is very small!
Gee, Lucy, even you are joining the crowd of knockers. I'm out of here!
"Q, you obviously got Australia mixed up with Austria"
Dave's right, Q, I've heard they treat their aborigines terribly in Austria. In fact, I was in Salzburg only about 3 months and you know what? I didn't see a single one. That's how badly treated they are - I guess the authorities drive them out of the big cities so the tourists don't see them... Shameful...
Wow they took the loss of the ashes hard.
david,
i took my data from AUSTRALIAN and UN (they have no credibility with me but you guys use them as a source quite a lot) sources.
q
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