U.S. promoting Human Rights, is wrong? Options

[Spirited Away]

"Are U.S. Efforts to Promote Human Rights Culturally Biased and Self-Serving?"

That is the question to which the answer would decide our foreign policies as well as why and how other nations perceive us as they do.

So, in your opinions, is there such a thing as universal morality, or do our morals differ so much that, for example: murder, rape, exploitation of child labor, are viewed as 'normal' to some (even hurtful to the economy if child labor is banned)?

Many have said that the US has no right to interfere with how other governments run, but what about in the case of abuse or things that affect humanity and global society?

[DizBukHahNi]

Genoncide can be averted, but are there nations anywhere who would care to send enough support and on time? The UN nowadays is far less effective than it should be, especially after the Iraq affair and Oil for Food scandals slowing the humanitarian effort even more.

Also enforcing Human rights and giving aid is very difficult. Anybody remember Black Hawk Down? We went in to help but 20 americans were killed in the process? Simply by saying that we should go in is easier said than done and sometimes lossing people is a price Americans, or any other country for that matter, are not willing to pay.

Edit: I have an article that supports why the UN is as effective as it should, unfortunately its not an isolated incident



Diggers in Timor 'sex' clash
Mark Dodd
March 21, 2005

AUSTRALIAN soldiers drew arms to protect themselves from Jordanian peacekeepers after a Digger blew the whistle on other Jordanian soldiers’ sexual abuse of East Timorese boys.

Corporal Andrew Wratten had to be evacuated and Australian commandos sent to protect Diggers in Oecussi, an East Timorese province in Indonesian West Timor, after he told the UN of the pedophilia that occurred in May 2001.

The Australians drew their Steyr assault rifles after being confronted by Jordanians armed with M-16s, in an escalation of verbal threats triggered by the later betrayal of Corporal Wratten by a Jordanian officer in the Dili headquarters of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor.

Corporal Wratten, who was working at a fuel dump in the enclave, was told by a group of children that Jordanian soldiers had offered food and money in exchange for oral sex and intercourse.

The allegations involved East Timorese minors, all boys, the youngest of them just 12 years old.

“Wratten informed PKF (peacekeeping force) that he had been receiving complaints from local children about Jorbatt (Jordan Battalion) abuse,” said a senior UN official who was based in Oecussi at the time.

“A Jordanian officer in HQ informed Jorbatt that he had ratted on them. Wratten and his guys manning the helo (helicopter) refuelling pad in Oecussi town started getting threatened. There was one occasion where Aussie Steyrs were pointed at Jorbatt and Jor-batt M-16s pointed at Aussies.”

sex scandal article source