United States Voted Off HR Commisio

[Mos]

The United States was recently voted off of the U.N. Human Rights Commision, which it helped found.

I find it incredibly stupid that they were voted off. Besides the fact that they are better about human rights than most countries (like Iraq), among the countries who replaced the US were:

Sudan
Uganda
Sierra
Leone
Togo

Some who were elected last year:

Syria
Algeria
Libya
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam

Maybe it's just me, or doesn't that completely eliminate the point of the stupid thing if everyone on it hits their own citizens with nerve gas anyway?

[Dom-Price]

HERE! HERE!

[P-Chan]

At 5/6/01 12:41 AM, Mos wrote: The United States was recently voted off of the U.N. Human Rights Commision, which it helped found.

I find it incredibly stupid that they were voted off. Besides the fact that they are better about human rights than most countries (like Iraq), among the countries who replaced the US were:

Sudan
Uganda
Sierra
Leone
Togo

Some who were elected last year:

Syria
Algeria
Libya
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam


Maybe it's just me, or doesn't that completely eliminate the point of the stupid thing if everyone on it hits their own citizens with nerve gas anyway?

Uh. Before we start bashing anyone, I think it would be nice to see some explainations as to why they got kicked off.

Anyone? Articles?

[Mos]

At 5/6/01 04:27 PM, P-Chan wrote:

At 5/6/01 12:41 AM, Mos wrote: The United States was recently voted off of the U.N. Human Rights Commision, which it helped found.

I find it incredibly stupid that they were voted off. Besides the fact that they are better about human rights than most countries (like Iraq), among the countries who replaced the US were:

Sudan
Uganda
Sierra
Leone
Togo

Some who were elected last year:

Syria
Algeria
Libya
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam


Maybe it's just me, or doesn't that completely eliminate the point of the stupid thing if everyone on it hits their own citizens with nerve gas anyway?

Uh. Before we start bashing anyone, I think it would be nice to see some explainations as to why they got kicked off.

Anyone? Articles?

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/05/04/un.us.chinareax/index.html

Oh, and I just found this site. Part of the vast Capitalism Magazine network.

www.unisevil.com

[P-Chan]

Hmmm. Before we start bashing anyone, I think it would be nice to see some explainations as to why they got kicked off.

The CNN article (not surprisingly) didn't list any clear reasons as to why the United States was removed. What were the critisms that other nations had?

Was the US kicked out? Or was it simply that their term wasn't renewed?

[Freakapotimus]

At 5/7/01 02:53 AM, P-Chan wrote: The CNN article (not surprisingly) didn't list any clear reasons as to why the United States was removed. What were the critisms that other nations had?

Was the US kicked out? Or was it simply that their term wasn't renewed?

Here's a passage very close to the end of the article:

"The commission, which usually meets in Geneva, makes recommendations on the protection and promotion of human rights, either on its own initiative or at the request of the U.N. General Assembly or Security Council.

"It is part of the U.N. Economic and Social Council, which chooses the commission's new members to three-year terms. About one-third are elected each year.

"Candidates are nominated by regional groups, and the Western Europe and Others Group proposed four candidates for three seats.

"France got 52 votes; Austria, 41; Sweden, 32; and the United States, 29.

"Although the United States will now be unable to vote on commission resolutions, it can still initiate and co-sponsor resolutions and lobby other governments to vote a particular way.

"Election to seats on U.N. bodies involves intense lobbying, and the United States has been at a disadvantage since the January departure of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke."

I'm assuming that the US term was up, and therefore they had to be re-elected to continue. They were not. I also didn't say any comments other nations had about the US being "voted off."

[shorbe]

The UN is a toothless tiger anyway. It's about time the USA withdrew from it and boycottd it anyway.

I heard a lot of reasons why the US was voted off. One was because other countries are pissed off over the Kyoto Agreement. Another was because the US hasn't been paying its dues/levies to the UN and owes a lot of money. Personally, if I were the US, I wouldn't pay up. It's not like they get value for money.

You do have to question why things are organised in regions, considering as a collective continent, Africa never gets its act together. Comparing them to the US, or giving any African nation anywhere near the same level of power is something of an insult.

shorbe

[KaneOfNod]

Then again, the US is one of the few "civilized" nations to readily use the death penalty, and it also allows abortion. However, most "civilized" nations do, so that second point is moot.

Ireland doesn't allow abortions. I think Ireland is actually the best place on earth, too. WARNING WARNING IRRELEVANT.

[KaneOfNod]

At 5/6/01 12:41 AM, Mos wrote: The United States was recently voted off of the U.N. Human Rights Commision, which it helped found.

I find it incredibly stupid that they were voted off. Besides the fact that they are better about human rights than most countries (like Iraq), among the countries who replaced the US were:

Sudan
Uganda
Sierra
Leone

Sierra Leone is one country :)

And this is NOT a double post.