Monday, March 20, 2006
America Has 'Lost Its Moral Compass.'
Mary Robinson, ex-United Nations human rights commissioner and former President of Ireland, has given a speech today in London in which she warns that the US has lost its moral compass and fallen out of step with the rest of the world in the wake of September 11.
She expressed sadness and regret at America’s erosion of human rights as part of its "War on Terror".
Talking about America's opposition to a new UN Human Rights Council, she said: "It illustrates the seismic shift which has taken place in the relation of the US to global rule of law issues. Today, the US no longer leads, but is too often seen merely to march out of step with the rest of the world."
Mrs Robinson spoke of the US government's use of Big Brother-style language to cover up their activities.
"Misuse of language has also led to Orwellian euphemisms, so that ’coercive interrogation’ is used instead of torture, or cruel and inhuman treatment; kidnapping becomes ’extraordinary rendition’," she said.
"The establishment of an off-shore prison in Guantanamo (and) its retention in the face of the most principled and sustained criticism ... are all aspects of this situation."
She went on: "The tables have turned, and it is UK rather than US courts which are taking a lead as interpreters of fundamental human rights, on the basis of the European Convention and - by extension - the body of international human rights treaty law.
"This new situation is well illustrated by recent House of Lords decisions, most notably their ruling that evidence obtained through torture is inadmissible in any proceedings before UK courts."
But Mrs Robinson warned that "political decisions" in Britain - such as pre-trial detention periods or limiting the right to peaceful demonstration - could become examples used to justify the behaviour by the state in less democratic countries.
The Times.
See all recent posts.
She expressed sadness and regret at America’s erosion of human rights as part of its "War on Terror".
Talking about America's opposition to a new UN Human Rights Council, she said: "It illustrates the seismic shift which has taken place in the relation of the US to global rule of law issues. Today, the US no longer leads, but is too often seen merely to march out of step with the rest of the world."
Mrs Robinson spoke of the US government's use of Big Brother-style language to cover up their activities.
"Misuse of language has also led to Orwellian euphemisms, so that ’coercive interrogation’ is used instead of torture, or cruel and inhuman treatment; kidnapping becomes ’extraordinary rendition’," she said.
"The establishment of an off-shore prison in Guantanamo (and) its retention in the face of the most principled and sustained criticism ... are all aspects of this situation."
She went on: "The tables have turned, and it is UK rather than US courts which are taking a lead as interpreters of fundamental human rights, on the basis of the European Convention and - by extension - the body of international human rights treaty law.
"This new situation is well illustrated by recent House of Lords decisions, most notably their ruling that evidence obtained through torture is inadmissible in any proceedings before UK courts."
But Mrs Robinson warned that "political decisions" in Britain - such as pre-trial detention periods or limiting the right to peaceful demonstration - could become examples used to justify the behaviour by the state in less democratic countries.
The Times.
See all recent posts.
© Colcam 2005-2007
