The U.N. is bogged down by structural limitations and political divisions that render it powerless to act decisively – nowhere more clearly than in the Gaza genocide.
Vijay Prashad: The United Nations Turns 80
Tag: Human Rights
Reminder: US Weaponizes ‘Human Rights’
In response to the sanctions imposed on Chinese officials, Caitlin Johnstone spotlights a 2007 leaked State Department memo describing the U.S. double standard for allies and adversaries.
Rewriting History & Rehabilitating George W Bush
Obama’s recent glowing comments about the 43rd president surely came as a shock to anyone who still has a functioning memory of the Bush years, writes Nat Parry.
Billionaire-Backed Human Rights Watch Lobbies for Lethal US Sanctions on Leftist Govts as Covid Rages
The Grayzone’s Ben Norton takes a deep dive into the “human rights” arm of U.S. empire.
WikiLeaks’ Legacy of Exposing US-UK Complicity
WikiLeaks is vilified by governments (and increasingly by journalists) for its exposures, including of the U.S.-UK “special relationship” in running a joint foreign policy of deception and violence that serves London and Washington’s elite interests, says Mark Curtis.
King’s Legacy Betrayed
The legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated 50 years ago today, has been cynically exploited by corporate and political leaders who care more for the needs of their rich donors than black constituents, comments Margaret Kimberley.
Breaking the Silence
Twenty-seven writers, journalists, film-makers, artists, academics, former intelligence officers and democrats call on the government of Ecuador in this letter to allow Julian Assange his right of freedom of speech.
America’s Complicated Relationship with International Human Rights Norms
The U.S. has long had a love-hate relationship with international norms, having taken the lead in forging landmark human rights agreements while brushing off complaints over its own abuses, Nat Parry explains.
Trump Should Withdraw Haspel Nomination, Intel Vets Say
More than two dozen former U.S. intelligence officers urge President Trump to rescind Gina Haspel’s nomination to lead the CIA, citing torture that she oversaw while supervising a black site prison, as well as her role in destroying evidence.
Torture-Tainted Nominations Recall Failure to Prosecute Bush-Era Abuses
The declining human rights standards on display with the Haspel and Pompeo nominations are the latest in a long line of policy failures that include the Obama administration’s lack of prosecutions of Bush-era torture, Nat Parry notes.