International hand wringing

[POINTER94]

Here is the first two paragraphs outlining human rights offences in Cuba and who is at fault.<br /><br /><br />GENEVA (Reuters) - A special U.N. rights envoy expressed alarm on Tuesday at allegations of ill treatment in Cuban jails, but said that a U.S. economic embargo was hampering attempts to improve Cuba's respect for political rights. <br /><br /> <br />"The extreme tension between Cuba and the United States has created a climate which is far from conducive to the development of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," French magistrate Christine Chanet said.<br /><br /><br />I find this unbelievable. This is the type of journalism you expect from Al Jeezera or France. <br /><br /><br />source link<br /> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060307/wl_nm/rights_cuba_envoy_dc

 

[QC]

Re: International hand wringing

Originally posted by POINTER94:<br /> U.N. rights envoy expressed alarm on Tuesday at allegations of ill treatment in Cuban jails

Can't say we haven't told ya . . .<br /><br />Just like anything. It is our fault because we don't throw enough money at it. Let's see if anyone does the right thing and condemns those who actually make a habit of human rights violations instead of condemning those who expose and punish our own worst who do "really bad stuff" i.e. Abu Ghraib

 

[JB]

Re: International hand wringing

The down side of power is resentment and jealousy.

 

[PW2]

Re: International hand wringing

I think you might be misreading that article a bit, or reading it with a kind of chip on your shoulder.<br /><br />The gist of the story is that Castro is detaining political prisoners, some from foreign countries, and treating them poorly.<br /><br />Now Castro has long blamed the US and it's embargo for economic ills facing his country, and it is not a wild stretch, if he admits to treating prisoners poorly, to blame the poor treatment on the US embargo. So what else is new?<br /><br />But the focus by that French envoy really is that Castro is holding in prisons dissidents whose only crime apparently is being critical of Castro and his regime.<br /><br />It is not as if our embargo is completely effective, as lots of countries, incl. Canada, freely trade with Cuba.<br /><br />Frankly I have long questioned our embargo of Cuba, as it has not resulted in the ouster of Castro, and since the demise of the Soviets, Castro can't be seriously viewed as a threat, and economic progress often results in humn rights progress as well, ala China.<br /><br />What specific goal are we attempting to reach, and is this embargo the best way to achieve this goal? And why give Castro such a convenient entity to blame for all its ills?<br /><br />As far as that article specifically blaming the US for Cuban prison conditions, well ok, maybe, but we have faced a lot harsher criticism elsewhere in the world for a myriad of different things, imagined or not