Bush Makes Mockery of UN Declaration of Human Rights in NY Speech
At his speech to the UN, Bush had the audacity to invoke the Universal Declaration of Human Rights several times, despite the fact that he’s been violating it over and over again.
He was quite selective in the articles that he mentioned by name.
Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 5.
Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 6.
Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 7.
Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted to him.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 8.
Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 9.
Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal….”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 10.
Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 11.
Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence…. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.”
For some reason, Bush failed to mention Article 12.
The reason is obvious.
By countenancing brutal treatment of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere,
By disappearing detainees to secret prisons around the world,
By holding kangaroo courts in Guantanamo,
By granting himself-and having Congress approve-the right to label anyone an enemy combatant and toss them behind bars, without habeas corpus protections,
By using the Patriot Act and the NSA and a signing statement on last year’s postal law to spy on Americans or invade their privacy,
Bush has systematically violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What a joke, what chutzpah, that after so sullying that declaration Bush tried to uphold it in New York.
But he left his dirty fingerprints all over it.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
© 2007 The Progressive
The headline is backward
It should read:
The UN makes a mockery of Bush
for all the reasons listed
One of the things that struck me
about the event at Columbia University
was how powerful laughter in response to
ridiculous remarks was
perhaps laughing at Bush
would be more effective
than turning away in disgust
Bush is telling the UN to spread freedom and democracy while he goes around spreading oppression and destruction. Hmmmmm….Bushs’ motto is: Hypocrites R’ Us!
Agreed–and while we’re at it, let’s also call on Israel, that great partner of the US, to also abide by the Declaration. Israel has numerous violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention, both signed by Israel and the US. These violations continue despite Israeli-Palestinian agreements at Oslo and Wye, and include torture, settlement expansion, destruction of homes, confiscation of land and water resources, prevention of family reunification, and collective punishment. Since the US violations are predominantly in the Middle East and against Muslims, it’s only logical to link them to Israeli violations. Both countries are carrying out illegal occupations and both are promoting violence in that region. Why doesn’t The Progressive critically analyze Israel’s role in world violence?
He talked about the killing of innocent women and children by those that wanted to force their ideology on people. Didn’t he realise he was talking about himself and the US? We’ve killed thousands of innocent Iraqi women and children, far more than Saddam at this point, destroyed lives in other places where our goons such as Blackwater and other PMCs and goons we train at places like School of Americas. Human Rights and That Man’s name should not be ever spoken in the same sentence.
in re: israel - let’s not forget the right of return for those displaced by hostilities, once they have concluded.
40 years and counting is a long wind down period for the palestinians.
the spectacle of bush at the un invoking human rights - all we need now is for dershowitz to finally and convincingly prove oj is not guilty after all.
then he and bush can hit the chicken circuit reflecting on their long and distinguished careers as unflinching guardians of truth and justice.
First off, who translated his speech for you? GIGO
Garbage in, garbage out. That idiot is not capable of
formulating a complete sentance. Why would you consider that anything truthful could come out of the chimp?
Bush is a classic psychopath
It’s like Dracula down at the Local Blood Bank lecturing officials on improving efficiencies in the storage, handling and delivery of vital life-saving blood supplies….
Bush the ‘classic Psychopath’ [like Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot before him] is naked and transparent for all the world to see; in this blatant hypocrisy…..
Matthew Rothschild has done us all a service by going back to this important document and analyzing it relative to US foreign policy (which is much larger than Bush). As much as any other person, an American—Eleanor Roosevelt—is responsible for negotiating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to its current form. James Carroll wrote an essay that is a nice companion to this essay. It emphasizes the three great declarations of 1776, 1789 and 1948. There is much we can learn about the current psychological landscape of hope for humanity by carefully pondering Matthew’s essay in light of the trend that Carroll describes in his essay. Here is the link:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/09/2393/
I’ve seen the enemy, and it is us. Bush has turned the United States into the greatest criminal, terrorist, and violator of human rights organization in the world. No wonder he looks past the abuses of countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
You got love it, Bush speaking on human rights. I’ll bet his staff was on the phone at that moment offering a few of his Black Water mercenarys to help deal with those pesky Monks. Hmmmmmm… Monks in guantanamo!
For a passionate, noble address, look for President Daniel Ortega’s speech to the UN yesterday — I only came across it during a sleepless night around 2:30 a.m. on C-SPAN.
“At his speech to the UN, Bush had the audacity to invoke the Universal Declaration of Human Rights several times, despite the fact that he’s been violating it over and over again.”
What can you expect from a U.S. President who can’t pronounce the names of other former or current world leaders and doesn’t even know if they’re dead or alive?
“By granting himself-and having Congress approve-the right to label anyone an enemy combatant and toss them behind bars, without habeas corpus protections..”
This guy may be a moron when it comes to knowing who “other” world leaders are, but he certainly knows how to manipulate our Congressional leaders to get what he wants from them to have become the first congressionally-approved dictator of the United States of America.
Bush had the chutzpa to illegally wiretap everyone in this country and that’s why he controls the majority in both parties.
Little Bush has been laughted at a lot. He is used to it, and maybe likes it. If we ignore him, maybe he will go away.
Where we should turn our attention to is the faction in Israel who are giving the chosen people of Yahweh a bad name.
With every country in the world having differing points of view within their borders up for scrutiny before the world, Israel stands out because their peacemakers are shut out of the public discourse. The hatemongers, winner takes all, and preemptive feverish few are like our Republican Party — in control, yet out of control. Peace is the only way brothers.
Does this law apply to women? It says HIM. Maybe that’s why women are less than human in most of the world.
Why the hell is gender inclusive language so difficult? Doesn’t anyone see the irony here?
The real crime here is that we have a Congress that refuses to impeach him.
Lobo Gris
Thanks Matthew Rothschild for shining a revealing light on what most of us would not have noticed!
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Don’t miss the high spirited talks from the last couple of days at the UN General Assembly in NY this week, where the monstrous empire of greed and violence, is enthusiastically denounced!
Cuba - (a wonderful response to Bush’s pap)
Nicaragua- Daniel Ortega
Iran - Ahmadinejad -
Bolivia - Evo Morales
Equador-
http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/62/
Watch or read..
Pass this around! The talks are going end after 3 October. There are some very bright progressives in this group.
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