Iran Hostages - Where are all the left-wing human rights groups?
If you’ve been living under or rock, or perhaps purposefully trying to avoid the constant coverage and analysis like I have, then let me catch you up on what’s going in with the kidnapping of 15 British Marines in the Persian Gulf by sending you over to Verum Serum for their analysis (be sure to watch their ongoing updates and analysis of the situation too, if you can stand it).
Here’s my deal.
Let’s assume, for a minute, that the British Marines WERE in Iranian waters when they were captured, and let’s just say that the Iranians are justified for taking them (both are almost certainly not true). The way these Marines are being treated, while not torturous, is a violation of human rights and the Geneva Conventions.
You see, the Marines have been forced in to “confessions” (by nearly all accounts), they have been televised publicly, and that’s all ASSUMING that their capture was legal.
Where is Amnesty International? Where is Rosie O’Donnel condemning Iran? Where’s Hollywood’s left-wing? Why aren’t these people, who are more than happy to publicly condemn nearly every US led wartime effort, also eager to criticize the Iranians?
Could it be because they blame the USA for this too?
Who knows. This is just one more reason for me to believe that these people (that is, the left-wing fringe of the Democrat party) are willing to do anything necessary to weaken the United States. Perhaps it is because the truly hate this country in it’s current iteration, perhaps it’s just because they crave power, or perhaps it’s just media manipulation.
All I know is, it’s disgraceful.
That is all 
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I don’t know, and don’t think anyone knows (besides the British and US governments, Iran, and the soldiers themselves) the exact condition of their capture. But I have no doubt that their human rights are being violated. There’s always been a tendency among those on the farther left to develop a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality, even when the ‘friend’, i.e. Iran, is much worse than the ‘enemy’, i.e. the current government of the US. The same occurred when those protesting what they viewed as American imperialism in Europe and southern Asia began idealizing Soviet Russia and Castro’s Cuba, just as those protesting American involvement in South America idealize Hugo Chavez.
Still, the United States HAS perpetrated horrible violations of human rights and the sovereignty of other nations. We have orchestrated coups replacing elected presidents with dictators (Allende’s assassination and Pinochet’s installment as military ruler of Chile), supported corrupt and tyrannical regimes (Baptista’s Cuba, the Shah’s Iran, Saudi Arabia, and yes, even Ba’athist Iraq), ignored genocides (Rwanda, Darfur), and trained some of South America’s worst terrorists on our own soil (the School of the Americas in Georgia). We are far from blameless; however it is not warranted to thus place our enemies on a pedestal. Our human rights violations, while egregious by an absolute standard, pale in comparison to the likes of Iran.
I think the celebrities are currently too busy shilling global warming, adopting babies who already have parents, and hanging out at L. Ron Hubbard’s compound. Maybe we could get more of them involved if it came with a movie deal and an appearance on Oprah.
“Yes, Oprah, I did this film because it’s a story that needed to be told. This is the most important film of my career. The Oscar nod has nothing to do with it. Really. I swear.”
You have to wonder when Hollywood is going to just implode from all the self importance.
Another point is that the human rights groups tend to focus on issues that are being ignored by the powers that be. They view themselves as voices for the disenfranchised. With the situation in Iran, however, international pressure is being brought to bear by governments. Rights advocates probably don’t see that there’s anything further they can contribute.
All good points. Indeed the US has done some pretty stupid things, with the best of intentions. However, like you said George, we are a far cry from the actions of the vast majority of other nations. In comparison, we look like innocent little bunny rabbits (yet somehow we are still viewed as the most hated country on earth. Chalk that up to foreign government propaganda).
As far as human rights standing up only for the ignored, that’s probably true. Problem is, these marines are being ignored too by the majority of the world. they’re almost being treated as if they deserved to be kidnapped. Such would not be the case if it was 15 Iranian soldiers kidnapped by Great Britain.
Again, I believe this situation is illustratave of the anti-western agenda of the so-called human rights groups, and I find that terribly troubling.
…I would dispute that we’ve always had good intentions. Even if we agreed that the ends were always noble, which I do not admit, that does not justify the means the US has used to further its various international agendas. I’m afraid I am more cynical of our leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, than you.
No offense, but this is rather similar to administration soundbites, calling liberals “the blame America first crowd”. It’s true, to a point, that many liberals will harp on America’s faults while ignoring the faults of other nations. However, as Americans, isn’t it our responsibility to point out our country’s faults that they may be corrected? It seems to me that many conservatives want to blame America never. We should instead be concerned about placing blame where it is due, and America is due a substantial share. Not as much as Iran, perhaps, but does that excuse us? The US may be the greatest country in the world, but we should not be judging ourselves by a relative standard. Instead, we need to be judging ourselves by absolute ideals. Better isn’t good enough.
I doubt it
Indeed, the motives are not always pure. I didn’t intend to imply the contrary.
None taken! I agree that rhetoric is useless, however it does seem that many times liberals (particularly the far left) tend to look at every situation as first and foremost, America’s fault.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we are never to blame. Not by any means at all!
In defense of the “conservatives” and neoconservatives; it can get somewhat frustrating to have to listen to the constant barrage of “it’s our own fault”, especially when it is clearly not (in some instances), and even more so when the nation is in need of unity behind a cause (such as war).
I guess my point is that when days like 9/11 come along, where evil men do evil things because their evil leaders have told lies about the US, then America is blamed for it by our own citizens, it gets a bit annoying. So you’ll have to forgive the impression of rhetoric. It’s just a side effect of frustration.
I think America, and the West in general, is to blame- to a degree- for 9/11. Our imperialism did royally screw up the entire Middle East. Let me be clear, that does not excuse the actions of those who orchestrated and carried out 9/11. And I harbor no illusions that the leaders of organizations like Al-Qaeda truly believe a word they speak. They are not motivated by righteous anger for vengeance. Yet many of their rank-and-file are. They are indoctrinated until the legitimate claims to anger flame up and motivate them to commit horrible crimes.
Does any of this excuse them? No. Are these extenuating circumstances? Yes. Is it our fault their leaders told them lies about the US? No. Is it our fault that our policies allowed the lies to be built from a kernel of truth? Yes.
Well, that’s a balanced approach that I can appreciate
Thanks George!
BTW, Ahmadinejad announced in a press conference today that the British soldiers have been ‘pardoned’ and will be released immediately. They claim it was done for humanitarian reasons, not diplomatic ones. That is clearly not true, but it makes them look a lot better than the US right now, with more scandals coming to light about people being held for years without being charged with crimes in Guantanamo.
I saw that earlier.
Don’t think bad of me here, but I truly think that this guy is on a mission that must be stopped. It could be argued that Saddam was not a threat, but such is not the case with Ahmadinejad.
I think he’s winning the PR war, and has an evil agenda. I’m not sure what the solution is, but he cannot be allowed to continue to publicly threaten the US and remain in power.
Thoughts?
Believe it or not, I agree. Pacifist as I am, I really do see only two courses of action in Iran: outright war, or fomenting another revolution (remember, it’s largely our fault the current regime came to power in the first place). Otherwise, they’re going to get nukes, and then they will pose a threat. I hope that a better course opens up, but at the moment I just don’t see one. We’ve screwed ourselves over pretty royally over there.