In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, former President Jimmy Carter makes the case that the United States is "abandoning its role as the global champion of human rights."
He points to some of the government’s counterterrorism policies including, interrogation tactics at Guantánamo Bay and the "president’s right to detain a person indefinitely on suspicion of affiliation with terrorist organizations or 'associated forces.'”
Carter also points to the use of drones and its negative impact on American foreign policy:
Despite an arbitrary rule that any man killed by drones is declared an enemy terrorist, the death of nearby innocent women and children is accepted as inevitable. After more than 30 airstrikes on civilian homes this year in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai has demanded that such attacks end, but the practice continues in areas of Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen that are not in any war zone. We don’t know how many hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed in these attacks, each one approved by the highest authorities in Washington. This would have been unthinkable in previous times.
These policies clearly affect American foreign policy. Top intelligence and military officials, as well as rights defenders in targeted areas, affirm that the great escalation in drone attacks has turned aggrieved families toward terrorist organizations, aroused civilian populations against us and permitted repressive governments to cite such actions to justify their own despotic behavior.
Carter to CNN: No military action in Syria
While Carter makes no direct reference to President Obama, he does condemn his policies as violating international human rights which, in turn, "abets our enemies and alienates our friends."
A recent poll by the Pew Research Center, which questioned more than 26,000 people in 21 countries, found that Obama's policies are hurting his global image.
In particular, drones: In 17 of the 21 countries surveyed, more than half of the respondents disapprove of U.S. drone attacks targeting extremists in countries like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. That contrasts sharply with the opinion of 62% of Americans, who approve of the drone campaign.
What do you think? How is the U.S. viewed around the world and is the use of drones helping or hurting?
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When the only information citizens obtain is, "The use of drones saves lives," it is easy to conceive of gaining support in the upper 90 percentile range. When you extend the argument to "Is the life of an innocent American of greater value than the life of an innocent Pakistani?" we might expect a decrease in the percentage. With greater, more detailed and accurate information, opinions can and do vary widely, but this is what democracies should be doing. As much as I admire our president, I do wish for the greater transparency that he promised.
There are two sides of Barack Obama: the personal and the official. As a private person I doubt if he approves of what he does. As the president of the U.S. he has to do a lot of things contrary to his conscience and personal choices. He has the history to judge him!
Humanity in general is becoming more wild, more desensitised to suffering – rats on a sinking ship so to speak. The US is losing compassion for its own citizens ( and they for each other), so yes – it has totally lost its 'leadership' roll.
And who takes up the mantle? The Europeans? who cast a critical eye...until its time to pony up the cash? no?
how about the Chinese? .... the Russians? lol the future looks grim indeed.
HONOR KILLINGS IN INDIA
To be young and in love has proved fatal for many young girls and boys in parts of north India as an intolerant and bigoted society refuses to accept any violation of its rigid code of decorum, especially when it comes to women. The two teenage girls who were shot dead last week by a cousin in Noida for daring to run away to meet their boyfriends are the latest victims of honour killings, a euphemism for doing away with anyone seen as spoiling the family's reputation. Many such killings are happening with regularity in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. These are socially sanctioned by caste panchayats and carried out by mobs with the connivance of family members.
The Aghori or Aghouri is a Hindu cult that is considered to have split off from the Kapalika order in the fourteenth century AD. They have cannibalistic rituals. The streets of northern Indian cities are littered with followers of this cult carrying a kapala, which is a cup made from a skull! These bizarre people will eat anything from rotten food to animal faeces. In order to achieve the highest citadel of enlightenment, the Aghori will perform horrendously crude rituals. The finality of their rituals is attained from eating the decaying flesh of a human.
it's true about civil liberty, drone usage etc but USA was never such a perfect campion of human rights in the past, either. Neither is any other country in the world. Sweden might be exceptionally humanitarian but its budget and hence its influence is limited. being harmless is great but not exactly the same as being moral.
I think USA should stop over-promise everything and be more honest about its interests and limits, though.
but some countries free ride American power and anti-America at the same time while others overestimate influence that America has over their countries, blaming everything. Americans often seem delusional and sometimes even archaic.
but other countries seem sometimes delusional about the world, too.
i think the present is better than any other time in history, though. developed countries more humble. developing countries more independent.
It appears that Jimmy Carter has it right! Judging by the use of those ungodly drones against people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, plus the cold-blooded murder of the purported Ossama bin Laden last year would hardly seem to be done by any country who championd human rights. Quite the contrary, Barack Obama and the C.I.A. need to be indicted and tried for these inhumaine policies, not to mention the tortures to go on in Gitmo and other places! Enough said.
Cold blooded murder of Bin Ladin? Are you serious? Obama should be indicted? What is wrong with you? Also, would you prefer we send ppl into those countries instead of drones? What is your grand solution? I mean, since you are so damn smart and have the moral high ground and all
Travis has the right idea here, Decline. The use of those cursed drones do need to be outlawed for the sake of humanity. Like Jimmy Cater said, we're villifying ourselves before the world by this barbarity and needs to cease!
Sorry about the missprint above, Decline. I meant Jimmy Carter, not Jimmy Cater.
First of all, I don't mean Bin Ladin or Saddam Hussien are good men.
In accordance with the US rule of law, a person can only be punished after proof of guilty beyond doubt. The indictment of possession of weapons of mass destruction made by GW Bush against Hussien proved without any grounds openly admitted by Bush himself. However, Hussien and his sons together with thousands of Iraqi people got killed already.
My question is are they innocent people? If yes, then what about Bin Ladin who has not been tried and proved guilty by any court.
Only animal rights activists like PETA are unhappy about the drone strikes on Pakistan. Jimmy Carter is just kidding about human rights issue. Good one Jimmy.
I think you needs to go to the funny farm
How is it there?
I will be very sorry if Egypt and Israel cut off their long-term relationship.
If this happens I will have to get a real job as I will not be able to promote the break-up any longer.
I have no idea what or where I will work.
Maybe I could be hired to clean sewers?
Carter is a joke. he was a joke in office and is a joke out of office. Always out of touch. Does anyone truly care what he thinks?
"Carter is a joke. he was a joke in office and is a joke out of office. Always out of touch. Does anyone truly care what he thinks?"
What's wrong with him admitting that the U.S. is committing crimes against humanity? Would you rather that he focus on making penis butter sandwich for you to munch instead?
I agree with you, Maersk. We need to own up to our mistakes and wrongdoings as that is the honorable thing to do. This bozo who posts under the name of The Decline seems to have no sense of honor or morality. No one with ant sense of decency would condone the use of those ungodly drones hurling 500lb. bombs on defenseless people no mater where they live!
President Carter would be right about human rights violations only if terrorists like Pakistanis are considered humans. That's a stretch.
Thank you Frank for larifying the american definition of terrorist. And for appointing America the judge, jury and executioner of justice based on one man's arbitrary decision without any proof to carry out such executions. There will come a time in this world when the true king appointed by the ONE True Lord of heavens and earth who will adminter justice in this world. Insha'Allah, Isaa will come and liberate us from tyrany.
Frank, I am from India. If you know anything about South Asian history you can guess my feelings towards Pakistani terrorists. But even I would say that killing a single innocent person (adult or child.. Pakistani or not..) trying to kill a terrorist is an unforgivable crime. Innocent people getting in the cross hairs accidentally is a different situation but accepting that few innocent people will die is no doubt a crime.
Jimmy Carter is absolutely right. Two wrongs don't make a right. The USA seems to think they have the right to start wars, kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people and treat prisioners in much the same way the nazi's did. No wonder we don't have any friends anymore.
we have the guts to call out Syria,China and others for killing civilians-–I bet if we took a tally on how many civilians each of the three have killed over the last 10 years,the USA would come in first place.
When USA was champion of human rights? It looks like the biggest joke of this century.Only a visit of US prisons is enough check about human right record of USA.
It is easy to say we do our best to save innocent people--but the policies and decisions put forth by our US gov't makes these deaths their fault.They are the ones who put our american soldiers at risk over their foreign policy agendas--many of which have NOTHING to do with protecting the american people,and more to do with protecting foreign investments.Shame on the US gov't-–they are no longer a civil rights country.......just because we are better than some,does not make us right.
Soon a drone attack will be possible on Americans.This is really rather low tech warfare.WHEN this happens will 62% of americans agree it was a good thing?NO! So why go along with this undeclared warfare now?because americans feel safer while they are slipping into a new danger zone.Silly people,afraid of shadows,suckers of big business interests which drive these wars.In the end you reap what you sow.Sad and so very avoidable
Jimmy Carter The Best President the U.S. ever had.
Next to Theodore, Frankiln D.Roosevelt and JFK, of course. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is humiliating this country with the inhumaine use of those cursed drones and thus making a joke out of our championing human rights. When will morality find it's way back to Washington D.C., I wonder?
i was born in australia at that time australia had different policy that it has today. a peaceful policy which nowadays they dont have. usa since vietnam , instead of having the world at peace instead is at war everywhere. this is a nightmare for everyone on the planet, when there r so many skilled diplomats who can do deals why not end all these crimes and do deals with diplomats? afghanistan situation needs this diplomatic control its been an endless war nd i think all these new diplomats r just as skilled as the old ones if they are given a chance which they should be!
Unfortunately rita, the current leaders of Australia seem to have sold out to the right-wing thugs in Washington D.C. If I were the Australian Prime Minister, all this BS would cease in no time!!! Like you, I strongly feel that Australia should make it's own policies like it did before.
How right you are, Marine5484. Australia does need a new crop of leaders who won't sell out to Washington D.C. but I don't see that happening any time soon, sadly enough!
what country does NOT sell out to the US gov't,is on the verge of being ATTACKED by the US gov't......if you don't follow the White House,you are on their hit list.
No genuine confidence brought by real success. Just steroided empty confidence and humanity is dumber for it.
Carters library is funded by Islamist Arabs. He is a traitor. He would have us not kill those that would kill us. He comes across as soft spoken. He is the devil in sheep's cloths if there ever was one. He has become the most corrupt ex-president ever.
DO you ever see Arabs and Muslim countries admit about their annihilation of 90% of their minority populations over the past century?
Thank-you President Carter. I'll go one step farther – Pres. Obama, the man I voted for, has turned into a war criminal and should be arrested and tried in international court.
@toughenough Obama is cool, you suck.
Good grief Zack, lose the stupidity! You only made a fool of yourself with that stupid comment above. Besides, ToughEnough1 is totally correct. Killer Obama is a war criminal, pure and simple!
Good grief Zack, lose the stupidity! You only made a fool of yourself with that stupid comment above. Besides, ToughEnough1 is totally correct. Killer Obama is a war criminal and that's all there is to it!
All are welcome to visit ... thestarofkaduri.com
President Carter is only filling the void where the mainstream media fails to inform. But his too shall pass. The Republicans will vilify Carter, the Democrats will ignore him, and post 9/11 America will careen down this ridiculous path ad infinitum. I'm betting Carter's Op-Ed will be forgotten by Friday.
Sadly enough 2sad, you're quite right!
President Carter is right about this in general. President Obama is right about drone strike against this specific country, Pakistan, which sheltered a mass murderer. I agree with Mr. Carter about a general rule. However, every rule has an exception. Drone strike against terrorist Pakistan are
completely justifiable.
Flying in drones to hurl 500 lb. bombs on defenseless people is never justifiable by any stretch of the iimagination, Gabe. Have you no sense of morality? At any rate, nobody ever justified the 1929 St.Valentine's day massacre in Chicago so nobody should ever justify these attacks either!
President Carter's opinions deserve the highest respect since he has a long track record of humanitarian work and he cares about innocent people. President Obama is saving countless innocent lives by using surgical drone strikes to reduce the number of Pakistani terrorists. Saving lives of innocent people takes courage and compassion, and that is a true humanitarian effort. President Obama deserves a second Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian effort.
Thank you, Ben. I fully agre with you Like you say, Killer O'Bama is "saving" thousands of "innocent" lives by slaughtering other people with those killer drones! But then again, What do I know? I'm just an ignorant Tea Partier from the South with little education!
Ben, that nonsense you posted above is not funny at all. That's tantamount to touting Adolf Hitler for saving thousands of German live by killing off Jews during WW2. This kind of joking here is something we all can do without!
Human rights is west's tool to obtain political gain . CIA drive covert operation that kill innocent people . The USA killed three millions Iraqi . The USA did same in Vietnam war . When the USA was Champion? This world think USA as a greater devil .
And the world is quite right too, lee!
with the iron fist of Obama and so much oppression at home, it's hypocritical for the US to champion human rights abroad
The US was never a champion of anything... other than hypocrisy.
To the American government, STOP THROWING STONES!!! And focus on the problems that are very visible in the US today, such as cost of education? Teenage pregnancies? Whatever, there's enough chaos inside the US. Don't cause more outside of it!!!
I couldn't agree more, SoWhat? With intelligent posts like these, it makes me feel good indeed.
Drone killings are a complete waste of taxpayers money and is inhuman and criminal. Only the defense contractors who manufacture drones and r and d companies benefit from these killing machines. The military personnel who operate them are target focused and forget about the innocent civilians that will be killed for just living.Taking foreign prisoners to a secret location and torturing them, conducting overt and covert operations for regime change in developing countries for the sake of big business interests is immoral. Hypocrisy, double standards, corruption and fraud is what the American system is known for.
Thank you, Nanson. You said it all!
So it's a double standard to kill your enemy before he kills you?
Tell that to the 9/11 families, you twerp.
But American voters love it!
Tragically enough Andrey, you're right. The average American voter has absolutely no notion of the horrors of war nor do they understand what it is to lose loved ones, especially children in this tragic manner and that makes me sick!!!
Carter and Obama = Dumb and Dumber. islam is a crime against humanity.
Jimmy Carter? Seriously?
We are in the Jimmy Carter phase of the next Ronald Reagan Revolution.
And it can't come a moment too soon.
Since when is the U.S. champion of human rights??? 48 million people without healthcare, Shooting innocent people as collateral damage in ALL the wars that the US has fought, one of the few countries where having slaves was a way of life...etc etc...
That depends on what you think the champion of human rights should do. If it makes a fuss when it can benefit from it, annoys, teaches everybody what to do and what not to do, supports some crooks because they have profitable business together, maintains double standards and talks like hypocrite, comes to you home without invitation and makes a mess of it – I say US is still a champion, no doubt about that!
islam is a crime against humanity. Carter and Obama are "Dumb" and "Dumber."
I was eating a snack and waithcng this when defied his lack of core and upper body strength came on I definitely laughed and totally spit out my food (sorry Sean's laptop).
Well put, saeed. Thank you.
Ya know what I find funny Saeed? The fact that China showed its "new" stealth fighter last year. I say "new" because the US developed that tech 40 years ago. We only do joint scientific missions because we want to spread the cost around, not because we technically cant do it. You should strive to be more informed
ahh just no on all this
lol
Sorry, JAL, you laughing at me made me realize what a total idiot I am.
I am a total brute and ignoramus – I get that from my muslim religion.
J apan did the sub, US people n space varies month to month, china's space station is still being designed..wont launch till 2020 at earliest, that missile has 8 mirvs not 12 and needs 2500 more in range to reach the US
So, the technology may be older but China is catching up, whereas the US is slowing down. And your point about the US spreading the goods is a fallacy! The American government doesn't want other countries to have the same amount of technology. Examples, Iran and the nuclear circus a while back, who was complaining? The US. And the US doesn't allow any high tech sales to China...Which is rather dumb actually considering it could help US manufacturing and export...
Oh well, the US congress is a circus anyways...