March 29, 2005
JIMMY CARTER WINS!:
Rice: Human Rights Ultimate Factor in US Relations Abroad (David Gollust, 28 March 2005, VOA News)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice vowed Monday to make respect for human rights a test of U.S. bilateral relations around the world. She spoke on release of a report on U.S. efforts to advance human rights and freedoms worldwide.Ms. Rice's comments are a further sign of a new assertiveness on human rights, marked by President Bush's declaration in his inaugural address in January that ending tyranny in the world is a U.S. policy goal.
At a State Department event launching the human rights report, the secretary cited a dramatic shift in the international landscape over the past year, with elections in Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories and Iraq, and steps toward democracy in places like Georgia, Ukraine and Lebanon.
Ms. Rice rejected what she termed a cynical notion that some countries and societies are not ready for freedom, and she said respect for human rights will be the ultimate measure in U.S. relations with other countries.
"In all that lies ahead, our nation will continue to clarify for other nations the moral choice between oppression and freedom, and we will make it clear that, ultimately, success in our relations depends on the treatment of their own people. America's belief in human dignity and human rights will guide our policy," she said.
If only President Carter'd had sense enough to insist that our enemies meet human rights standards, instead of just our friends. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 29, 2005 1:22 PM
That would have been too difficult, and taken away from his work scheduling the WH tennis courts.
Posted by: jim hamlen at March 29, 2005 1:44 PMHelsinki was Carter's post-election reaction to Gerald Ford's debate gaffe on Poland. Only problem was Carter thought the paper alone was enough to restrain the Soviets, until they did him wrong by attacking Afghanistan six weeks after the Iranian hostage crisis began.
But even then, the best he could muster was a strategic withdrawal of our Summer Olympic team, and (according to recent reports) by the end of the summer of 1980 he was cozying up to Brezhnev try to get him to do some sort of peace deal to help Jimmy out against Ronald Reagan in the fall election. Human rights may be important, but not as important as winning re-election...
Posted by: John at March 29, 2005 2:48 PMVenezuela, anyone?
Posted by: oswald booth czolgosz at March 29, 2005 3:14 PMHe's had something of a problem in sorting out enemies from friends.
Posted by: Genecis at March 30, 2005 2:09 PM