America’s Human Rights Presumptions
The Current Discussion: The U.S. State Dept. says China's no longer one of the world's worst human rights offenders. Are they right?
The particulars of China's human rights record are important for the Chinese people, but more significant globally is the presumptuous manner in which the United States designates itself as the human rights arbiter of the world. In view of the damage the U.S. has done around the world in its direct militarism and support for dictators, this is also deeply hypocritical.
American ideals are impressive, and in practice the United States offers a degree of freedom, equality and opportunity that are the envy of most other societies around the developing world. This is why people from all over the world continue to emigrate to the U.S. Washington's voice on human rights is important, but it is demeaned and devalued by the inconsistent manner in which the U.S. promotes democracy in some places around the world and supports autocracy and occupation in others.

