So Many Layers of Hypocrisy, So Little Time

Last weekend Robert Weissman wrote an article on Counterpunch, a left-leaning political blog, about President Bush's hypocrisy regarding human rights. In the article, the author referenced a recent news conference where President Bush forcefully proclaimed that he could not meet with Cuba’s new President, Raul Castro, because of Cuba’s human rights record. Yet, eight minutes later in the news conference, he conveys that he is excited to attend the summer Olympics in China, where he will visit with Chinese Hu Jintao. The author also relates that this (Bush) is also the same guy that enjoyed a visit with Saudi King Abdullah on his extravagant ranch just a month ago.

A recent report by the US State Department on human rights states that the People’s Republic of China human rights’ record remains poor, and they are an authoritarian state. Another State Department report on Saudi Arabia lists various significant human rights’ problems, with corporal punishment and arbitrary interference with privacy being just a couple issues that caught my eye.

Robert Weissman questions that the hypocrisy that Bush is perpetuating used to at least be acknowledged; now it seems to be just taken for granted as a course of business. Our society and more importantly, government has become controlled so closely by corporations and money, that we don’t even seem to notice these things anymore.
While the situations with Cuba, China, and Saudi Arabia are blatant double standards; let’s not forget one of the biggest hypocrisies of Bush even uttering the words 'human rights' – THE UNITED STATES’ lack of human rights’ standards. No other developed country – especially with the money the US has – would let such vast numbers of it’s citizens remain uninsured and underinsured when medical crisis strikes. A conservative estimate I read stated that three times more people die from a lack of proper medical insurance in this country than died on Sept 11, 2001. About 6,000 people lost their lives on 9-11-01 – so we are looking at, conservatively, 18,000 preventable deaths a year. This is because the insurance and pharmaceutical companies have profits in the tens of billions per year. And they number one: contribute large sums of money to election and re-election campaigns and political parties; and number two: boost Wall Street, which certainly effects our government and President. I might also add that this practice would be considered illegal and highly corrupt in other developed countries, but remains status quo for the United States.

Really, I could go on with more human rights’ problems our country has, but I believe I will save it for the next blog entry. And no, we aren’t getting beaten as a government sanctioned punishment for publicly opposing our leader, but that doesn’t mean our government has true human rights’ on its' agenda. To analogize, stealing is stealing - whether it is a $1 soda or a $1000 television. It truly disgusts me to hear President Bush refusing to talk to another country's leader, much less, admonishing the country for their human rights' policies. Pot, meet kettle.