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aarmstrong
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Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 14, 2007 - 02:27 PM
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Hello!
In this high school Peace & Conflict course, students have been learning about the history, attitudes and actions of the United States towards human rights. Specifically, we've come to understand what is generally referred to as "exceptionalism," a paradox in which the United States stands as both a leader and a rebel with regard to international human rights. (For an excellent treatment of this issue, please see American Exceptionalism and Human Rights, Edited by Michael Ignatieff, Princeton University Press, 2005 ).
It is our strong desire to engage in meaningful dialogue with the TIGed community on this issue.
My students will post their reflections in hopes that others will respond in a way that can invite back-and-forth communication and the forging of new connections with our fellow TIG participants.
Thank you for supporting our learning!
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johnvaldez
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 16, 2007 - 01:33 AM
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The United States should reform the torture policy in such a way that human rights will not be violated in any such way. After the reform, there should not be another incident that violates human rights in the ways that Guantanamo Bay did. Torture in Guantanamo Bay included water boarding, sexual harassment as well as other inhumane ways of getting information. Lastly the U.S. should make more precise laws that define torture by the slightest inhumane actions so that no immoral action goes unpunished.
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rdonida
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 16, 2007 - 02:05 AM
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I agree with this person above. It is horrible how the United States says that it is not considered torture as long as it does not result in organ failure. Their definition of torture in comparison to the UN's definition of torture is causing any type of severe pain. In addition to the United States' neglect towards harm and human rights, the United States has "black sites," to interrogate people in other countries where it is allowed because it is not allowed in the United States. Just because the US does not interrogate with the country does not make them just and right, the US is still responsible for their actions and is still morally wrong. How can there be so much praise for a country who neglects human rights, hides their actions, and lives morally wrong?
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Luke Lieberman
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 16, 2007 - 04:25 PM
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I think when you look at this issue it is significant that every 4 or 8 years you have a different administration - who have different degrees of commitment to Human rights in both rhetoric and action.
the current administration is probably the worst we had - but does anyone think we'ld debating torture under Bill Clinton?
at some level the whole debate seems absurd to me.
The conservatives always talk about the nightmare senerios of a ticking bomb in NYC or DC -
but if litterally 8 millions lives are on the line in that moment I think any sane person would agree with the use of whatever methods to get the info - personally I would favor extraordinary methods in such a situation.
but this is no way to make policy - that is the exception not the rule.
you can't design a general policy on the worst case senerio.
This is what a Presidential pardon is for - if a terrorist is going to nuke New York tomorrow and CIA officers torture him to find out where the bomb is - then the President can just take those circumstances into consideration and pardon the officers.
but as a RULE torture should simply not be allowed.
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bgraham
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 18, 2007 - 02:51 PM
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I agree with "luke" who believes that the Bush administration is the worst offender of human rights that the US Presidency has ever seen. But I would like to make the point, however, that not all hope is lost if the American people take the time and effort to stay informed and make good political decisions based on support for human rights. Bill Richardson, a Democrat running for President, is adamnetly against many exceptionalism principals and will stand up against them if elected. He has already started myspace groups against torture (particularly waterboarding) and has made it clear that he finds this practice unacceptable. Finally, I would like to share my views on torture from my essay on exceptionalism:
Allegations of torture against the United States surface primarily from the federal penitentiary at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as well as other “black sites” owned by the United States government or military, usually funded through the Department of Defense and/or the budget of the United States Army. Torture is clearly against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article Five: “Nobody has the right to torture you.” Considering that the United States was founded partially to protect people from oppression, and the fact that our nation has endorsed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is hypocritical for the U.S. government to partake in torture whether it be against its own citizens or alien criminals. In addition, torture often takes place through the suspension of habeus corpus, or the denial of a right to a fair and speedy trial. The suspension of habeus corpus is against numerous UDHR articles as well as the United States Constitution, the highest official legal document in America and arguably the world. Due to the fact that suspension of habeus corpus violates these two legal bindings, there is no way in which the United States government can justify taking such an action.
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Geraldine de Leon
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 19, 2007 - 05:49 PM
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I also agree with "luke" in his view that the Bush administration has definitely surpassed others in serious offenses against human rights. Especially with the issue of torture, and specifically in the case of Guantanamo Bay, it makes me question the morality of those who lead our country. In examining a list of conventions based on various human rights, I noticed that the U.S. has not signed on to many of these conventions, which include the rights of women and children, along with the convention agaisnt torture. I find it very hypocritical that the U.S., though our country generally displays an advocacy of free speech, religion, etc. (supporting general welfare and equality for all people), our government still finds it okay to undermine the human rights that every person is entitled to. Also, in looking at the allies/enemies of the U.S., I discovered that we make alliances with countries based on what we need from that country (or what they can offer us). And even if a certain country is our enemy, they can become our ally in the case that we share a certain enemy. In other words, we seem to use other countries simply for our own benefit. I think that not only does the U.S. need to revise the country's policies on human rights, but the general public also needs to be more aware of this, especially with the elections next year. This hypocrisy in the U.S. and the problems that have arisen due to it are major issues in today's world, and something must be done about them.
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tlabarbera
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 19, 2007 - 09:44 PM
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I see where Luke is coming from. I think that Exceptionalism is definitely reliant on the situation. Of course there will be many factors contributing to the use of torture in order for information, but the lives and safety of many will sometimes outweigh a single life. I think the thing that gets the U.S. into trouble is that the one individual who suffers has been starting to become the same type of people, maybe coming from the sterotype of a "terrorist". Another thing is the frequency and the accuracy of torture. Sometimes it may be used without thinking it through the whole way without trying to find other alternatives. Torture is still unacceptable but it some cases it may be a necessity. Even though dissaproval of torture exsists, if it used to save millions of lives, then it is somehow looked upon under a different light.
On Exceptionalism in general, i think that it is mostly bad because it makes the U.S. look like hypocrits. When it is used for necesity it isnt as bad, but sometimes the U.S. uses it in order to gain advantages, like oil in the middle east, and this is where it gets caught up in international problems.
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Alexis
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 19, 2007 - 11:54 PM
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Indeed exceptionalism is a hypocritical act of proclaiming to be a part of a group that agrees not to do something and then excuses themselves from using the same tactics that they had already agreed not to use. Exceptionalism is a clear violation of human rights that should automatically be granted protection from being violated. Our double standard way of thinking has allowed for exceptionalism to exist in our Nation. I do not believe that exceptionalism should exist because I do not see how it could possibly ever benefit the greater good in society. As Americans with wealth and power, we have the ability to make changes. We could be the leaders of Human rights and Non-Violence tolerance throughout the world instead of being known as the bullies of the playground.
Our future does not look too swell with the forever growing corruption our nation is based and ran on. If we advocate that we believe something is wrong, we should not draw back on our word and act on the very same thing we voted against. In the overall scope of things, we create all of our own problems and complications. Once we learn to simplify ourselves as a nation, we will be a more peaceful and accommodating place to live.
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dromero
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 12:37 AM
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I still refuse to accept the fact that exceptionalism exists at all. No person, group, country can truly be a leader and genuine example of human rights if they do otherwise behind closed doors. making exceptions and finding loopholes in the rules is simply hypocrasy. One of the clearest example of this is the concept of Extraordinary Rendition and "black sites." Our, as in the United States', definition of torture
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Amanda Sawit
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 12:53 AM
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As many have stated before, the U.S. is one of the biggest offenders of human rights, particularly in its use of exceptionalism as a double-standard. This is when a country judges itself and its "friends" on a more favorable light than it does its enemies. A couple fo examples of this would be its relationships with China, who supports and provides a lot of economic opportunity for the U.S. Without them as an ally, the U.S.'s welfare and status as a major powerhouse on earth would shrink, therefore leaving it open for other countries to seize the moment of opportunity.
With this said, I believe that it is important to try to understand the sources and incentives for exceptionalism. Realistically, it makes sense to look out for one's best interest; realpolitik: power is primary. Those who are bigger can do what they want. The U.S. is very good at keeping a one way passage in which its own opinions and influence can affect the rest of the world, but at the same time its citizens and populations are safegaurded from foreign influence. (Messianism). I think that it depends on what standpoint one looks at it: realistically, or morally. Of course, compromise is always hoped for between the two, and in PACS class, we always chose the moral approach to things. =)
This post was edited on: 2007-11-20 at 12:56 AM by: Amanda Sawit
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Kai
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 02:55 AM
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I find it hard to say whether the US is right or not in its use of Exceptionalism. In a way, it is what makes us unique. We have the power to do great things and yet we don't. It seems that we have certainly not taken to heart old Uncle Ben's words to heart: "with great power comes great responsibilty." The US has great power. It is considered the only global superpower in the world at present. And yet our government won't take responsibility for attrocities which may have been committed by US troops. On the note of attrocities, the US has the power to stop them: to intervene in Iran and Pakistan, stop the genocide in Darfur, etc. And yet we don't. Why? Because we don't have to. They don't affect us. The government looks at it as "well it has nothing to do with us so let's not have anything to do with it." I'm surprised that we haven't seen military intervention by the US recently with our current president, milking the US army reserves like pawns. But that's beside the point and is a completely personal opinion. The US really acts like nothing matters really because we are so powerful that no one is going to do anything about it. And the only people who do do anything about anything that we do are the terrorists and crazy ugly short asian males who want to nuke the US. I think that the US really needs to begin focusing more on that kind of isolationism which was set out in the Monroe Doctrine all those years ago. (continued in next post)
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Kai
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 02:56 AM
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Even economically the US is coming up short. The Canadian dollar is worth more than the US Dollar for crimany's sake! In this ever more competitive global market, the US ought to stand at the forefront, but due to a number of reasons, we are slowly being overtaken by China and India. For one, we owe China an insane amount of money, and for another, all the major companies in the US are so profit hungry they are exporting their jobs to India where they can pay 10 times less. The problem of US Exceptionalism does not lie solely in the government, but also in the general citizenry of the US. Greedy monopolistic CEOs of major corporations are not at all interested in economic security: what do they care about social security, they have enough money to buy their way into Valhalla! The American public is addicted to gassoline, and gas prices are shooting through the roof because of US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. We import far more than we export. Why? Because Americans are lazy. It's a cronic disease which has infected 25% of the population of the US. Obesity is now considered an epidemic in the US. American products simply can't live up to the standards set my other countries, and the big businesses complain that they are being regulated too much. Well apparently Adam Smith was right--Some government ought to have its hand in the economy so that it doesn't fall apart like it is now. Anyway, I could go on forever and I'm straying from the topic, but my point is that the US has so many problems of its own that we would be better off if we left the rest of the world the hell alone. Then we wouldn't be criticized about human rights policy or exceptionalism.
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Tim Stapenhorst
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 10:47 AM
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This is a fascinating subject. I can understand both sides of the argument and both have fair points to be made. If you are for it, honestly US exceptionalism comes down to one point: the life of one is outweighed by the lives of millions. Then again, the other side will say you can never deny any one their basic human rights. So who is right?
You cannot deny anyone their rights. Their has to be ways to get what is necessary that does not involve exceptionalism. Maybe if there was something that could achieve the goals of torture that doesn't violate human rights, maybe exceptionalism would not have to be used anymore. Until then, exceptionalism might have to be a necessary evil. I really don't know.
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michael schultz
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 10:52 AM
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the situations that America are positioned in are difficult, and exceptionalism seems like the only way to live with the insanity. being locked in a superhero persona known around the world makes other nations demand our assistance in the many human rights violations around the world, then demonizes us when we choose not to fight certain battles. yes ideologically it would be nice for America to be the ultimate warrior for human rights but it is very difficult unless we either take military action or we embargo the governments or whoever violating the human rights. being able to choose which situations are able to be fixed cleanly and which not to get meddled in is an important lesson that the US needs to learn. and once we figure that out then people will be more open minded to exceptionalism in the US.
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Allison Murray
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Re: Human Rights and US Exceptionalism
November 20, 2007 - 02:21 PM
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The common theme throughout this post is that exceptionalism is a hypocritical act and I can't help but agree with this. Exceptionalism creates confusion - is America a leader in the battle against human rights or a rebel?
I found it particularly interesting to learn about the restrictions on language that end up aiding a country's abuse of human rights. For example, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict continually demonstrates this process - either by calling an illegal settlement a "neighborhood" or by calling certain groups of people "terrorists" and others, who commit almost identical acts something else. Language often doesn't seem like a powerful or dangerous tool, but it can be in the sense that it has the power to block certain knowledge from reaching the world.
Exceptionalism isn't something I agree with, but the process of finding a solution is so daunting that I do not believe a solution will be reached any time soon.
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