Where's The Love? For Human Rights

While this country's foreign relationships are in shambles, the vacancy in the position of Deputy Secretary of State has gone unfilled for the longest time since the position's creation, all around the world other nations are forming alliances and developing their own positions without respect to or for this country.

China's President Hu is famously touring Africa, with the country of Sudan - from which the major portion of its oil supplies come - an object of greatest concern. While the rest of the world urges Sudan's President Bashir to become a positive influence over the janjaweed massacre of Darfur's population, China's president holds back on criticism in the interest of good relationships for commerce.

Rossin, a former U.S. diplomat , said in an interview in London that Chinese officials have assured him they were using their status as a major trading partner with Sudan and working behind the scenes to try to persuade the country to bow to international will. But he said he has seen little evidence those efforts were having an effect on al-Bashir.

The Chinese are "going to have to make a decision about this," Rossin said. "Either their quiet diplomacy is working ... or they're going to have to realize that (al-Bashir is) stiffing them, too. And I don't think a country like China should take 'no' for an answer."

As I noted in last week's post "See No Evil", Secretary of State Rice points to an ephemeral success in negotiating an agreement in Sudan that is now fast unravelling, as if she is unaware of reality. Meanwhile, the ongoing genocide in Darfur and violations of North Sudan's agreement with the South are indicative of the disrespect Bashir holds for the opinion of the West. In his dealings with China it appears that this Sudanese leader will act positively toward his country's other factions only if there is no choice. While China has influence, there is no sign that that influence will be used for human rights.

Here it appears that our administration is either unable to use the influence it might have with China through its own usual incompetence, or is not interested enough to do so.

In the meantime, world trade talks have been resumed and our ongoing dispute with China over copyright violations resumes, a sure sign that our economic interests will eclipse any slight movement toward a role for this government in the interest of human rights or real resistance to the violence committed in Darfur.

[T]he statistics of pirated and counterfeit goods coming into the United States show that well over 70 per cent such goods come from China and that number has been growing, not going down, Schwab said. "So this is an issue we need to address."

Coming out of Davos "a number of us emerged with a new sense of optimism and a sense of momentum that had been sorely lacking since July," said Schwab, reiterating that Washington is fully committed to a successful Doha Round outcome.

"There was clear agreement on the need to move forward with the Doha Round and a sense of urgency that if at all possible we need to identify a means of achieving a breakthrough and ultimately a successful trade agreement," she said.

The lipservice this administration gives to promoting human rights in the world is not backed by action, any more than it is at home. An administration that is setting up offices to inhibit policy decisions based on knowledge in its own government agencies is hardly likely to promote civilized behavior abroad.

This administration is known for its constant attention to business and corporate interests. Its word is often proved no good when it pretends that it will set those interests aside to serve the public interest or human rights.

The prospect of suffering people in the world, of Darfur and of the South Sudan region at this juncture, are not well served by the actions or lack of action of the U.S. Our relations abroad are not good or positive in their effect.