The Case Against Universal Human Rights

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:33 am

A long article on Human Rights and western intervention in developing countries. Interesting.This is the conclusion:

It is time to start over with an approach to promoting wellbeing in foreign countries that is empirical rather than ideological. Human rights advocates can learn a lot from the experiences of development economists – not only about the flaws of top-down, coercive styles of forcing people living in other countries to be free, but about how one can actually help those people if one really wants to. Wealthy countries can and should provide foreign aid to developing countries, but with the understanding that helping other countries is not the same as forcing them to adopt western institutions, modes of governance, dispute-resolution systems and rights. Helping other countries means giving them cash, technical assistance and credit where there is reason to believe that these forms of aid will raise the living standards of the poorest people. Resources currently used in fruitless efforts to compel foreign countries to comply with the byzantine, amorphous treaty regime would be better used in this way.

With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the human rights treaties were not so much an act of idealism as an act of hubris, with more than a passing resemblance to the civilising efforts undertaken by western governments and missionary groups in the 19th century, which did little good for native populations while entangling European powers in the affairs of countries they did not understand. A humbler approach is long overdue.

• Eric Posner is a professor at the University of Chicago Law School. His latest book is The Twilight of International Human Rights Law. Follow him on Twitter: @EricAPosner

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/de ... man-rights

Soi Dog · Post by **Soi Dog** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:45 am

Right on. Let's give billions of dollars in aid to the likes of North Korea and Turkmenistan with no strings attached to the money whatsoever. That money will undoubtedly make its way down to the poorest people there and improve their lives greatly.

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:58 am

SD, read the article. I am a longtime supporter of HR, but useful criticism makes you think and even question.
The author gives his opinion on why HR are not working as we supposed they would.

The Add Jay · Post by **The Add Jay** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:21 am

Look at the skylines of major cities across the globe. Its dominated by Non for Profits and NGO's. Neo Liberalism which is the "college term" for New World Order.

Its all Funded by those 85 trillion airs who have more money then the rest of us. Look up George Soros,

FreeSocrates! · Post by **FreeSocrates!** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:57 am

Anchor Moy wrote:SD, read the article. I am a longtime supporter of HR, but useful criticism makes you think and even question.
The author gives his opinion on why HR are not working as we supposed they would.

Just because doing some type of action is not working, doesn't mean doing the opposite will.

This article is just a little naive.