Elind
Philosopher
I'm surprised no one has posted this one yet. Obviously many of us have disagreements about imprisonment of "alleged" terrorists and I am not wanting to open that can here, but I would like to ask what others think of this type of report from Amnesty. It's not the first by a long shot that takes aim at the US.
I can remember as a boy admiring AI as the one organization that would take up causes that everyone else ignored. Individual prisoners of conscience all over the world; and governments paid attention because they, AI, did not try to offend for its own sake.
The past years I have come to see it as a self serving entity that thinks it has a monopoly on morality and as an organization that depends on contributions, it has decided that it cannot have the respect of everyone and make good money, so it will go for the most emotional sector of the public at large, and in particular all those who hate the US. Ethics aside, it makes good business sense I suppose
(PS let's try to avoid this becoming a commentary on Cheney, business or not)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday he was offended by Amnesty International's condemnation of the United States for what it called "serious human rights violations" at Guantanamo Bay.
"For Amnesty International to suggest that somehow the United States is a violator of human rights, I frankly just don't take them seriously," he said in an interview that was to air Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Amnesty International was scathing last week in its criticism of the way the United States has run the detention center at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"We have documented that the U.S. government is a leading purveyor and practitioner of the odious human rights violation," William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said Wednesday.
On its Web site, the London, England-based human rights group says: "As evidence of torture and widespread cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment mounts, it is more urgent than ever that the U.S. government bring the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and any other facilities it is operating outside the USA into full compliance with international law and standards. The only alternative is to close them down."
The vice president said the United States has freed millions of people from oppression.
"I think the fact of the matter is, the United States has done more to advance the cause of freedom, has liberated more people from tyranny over the course of the 20th century and up to the present day than any other nation in the history of the world. ....more
I can remember as a boy admiring AI as the one organization that would take up causes that everyone else ignored. Individual prisoners of conscience all over the world; and governments paid attention because they, AI, did not try to offend for its own sake.
The past years I have come to see it as a self serving entity that thinks it has a monopoly on morality and as an organization that depends on contributions, it has decided that it cannot have the respect of everyone and make good money, so it will go for the most emotional sector of the public at large, and in particular all those who hate the US. Ethics aside, it makes good business sense I suppose
(PS let's try to avoid this becoming a commentary on Cheney, business or not)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday he was offended by Amnesty International's condemnation of the United States for what it called "serious human rights violations" at Guantanamo Bay.
"For Amnesty International to suggest that somehow the United States is a violator of human rights, I frankly just don't take them seriously," he said in an interview that was to air Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Amnesty International was scathing last week in its criticism of the way the United States has run the detention center at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"We have documented that the U.S. government is a leading purveyor and practitioner of the odious human rights violation," William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said Wednesday.
On its Web site, the London, England-based human rights group says: "As evidence of torture and widespread cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment mounts, it is more urgent than ever that the U.S. government bring the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and any other facilities it is operating outside the USA into full compliance with international law and standards. The only alternative is to close them down."
The vice president said the United States has freed millions of people from oppression.
"I think the fact of the matter is, the United States has done more to advance the cause of freedom, has liberated more people from tyranny over the course of the 20th century and up to the present day than any other nation in the history of the world. ....more
