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UN General Assembly continues its brilliant self-parody.

UN General Assembly continues its brilliant self-parody.

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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-un-human-rights-council-seat-vote-united-nations-general-assembly-a9160366.html

Venezuela has won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council after a vote by the General Assembly.

Yes, that's right, folks.

Nicolas Maduro‘s government will now be "responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe."

But hey, thankfully such human rights stalwarts as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan are still on the council to help out.


Well, it's the United Nations, not the Nordic Council.

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@sh76 said
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-un-human-rights-council-seat-vote-united-nations-general-assembly-a9160366.html

Venezuela has won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council after a vote by the General Assembly.

Yes, that's right, folks.

Nicolas Maduro‘s government will now be "responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights aroun ...[text shortened]... ly such human rights stalwarts as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan are still on the council to help out.
I'm not very happy about this either, but where does one draw the line?

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@mchill said
I'm not very happy about this either, but where does one draw the line?
There's no inherent line to be drawn. But that enough members of the GA thought that the Maduro government is worthy of a spot on the Human Rights Council speaks volumes.

If you ask me what I think is *really* at play, I think it's that enough countries hate Trump and/or the United States enough to cast their votes in a manner specifically calculated to embarrass Trump and/or the United States... and that virtually nobody takes the HRC seriously anyway.

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@sh76 said
There's no inherent line to be drawn. But that enough members of the GA thought that the Maduro government is worthy of a spot on the Human Rights Council speaks volumes.

If you ask me what I think is *really* at play, I think it's that enough countries hate Trump and/or the United States enough to cast their votes in a manner specifically calculated to embarrass Trump and/or the United States... and that virtually nobody takes the HRC seriously anyway.
Maybe by giving them responsibility, they’ll step up to the plate and try to be better?

It works on a human level, perhaps it will work on a national level?

That being said, I certainly wouldn’t endorse the choice without knowing more about the reasoning.


@sh76 said
If you ask me what I think is *really* at play, I think it's that enough countries hate Trump and/or the United States enough to cast their votes in a manner specifically calculated to embarrass Trump and/or the United States... and that virtually nobody takes the HRC seriously anyway.
You don't need to do any calculations to embarrass Trump. In fact if you handed him a calculator in a sesame seed bun he'd likely eat it.

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@sh76 said
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-un-human-rights-council-seat-vote-united-nations-general-assembly-a9160366.html

Venezuela has won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council after a vote by the General Assembly.

Yes, that's right, folks.

Nicolas Maduro‘s government will now be "responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights aroun ...[text shortened]... ly such human rights stalwarts as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan are still on the council to help out.
Maybe people heard the "Election Process in Venezuela is the Best in the World". That is what Jimmy Carter said.





Comparing Venezuela's human rights record with Saudi Arabia is irresponsible. There is no comparison that is justified.

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@shavixmir said
Maybe by giving them responsibility, they’ll step up to the plate and try to be better?
They use that tactic a lot in elementary school, but not that often in international diplomacy.

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@metal-brain said
Comparing Venezuela's human rights record with Saudi Arabia is irresponsible. There is no comparison that is justified.
You're right.

Saudi Arabia has not been credibly accused of having engaged in Maduro-level brutality.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/11/29/crackdown-dissent/brutality-torture-and-political-persecution-venezuela

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@sh76 said
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-un-human-rights-council-seat-vote-united-nations-general-assembly-a9160366.html

Venezuela has won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council after a vote by the General Assembly.

Yes, that's right, folks.

Nicolas Maduro‘s government will now be "responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights aroun ...[text shortened]... ly such human rights stalwarts as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan are still on the council to help out.
That's nothing, Lebron and the NBA say they want China to head the Human Rights Council.

You have to understand that Venezuela is a Left wing darling, so as such, they get a free pass for pretty much anything and everything.

Meanwhile, the Cheeto is Hitler.


@whodey said
That's nothing, Lebron and the NBA say they want China to head the Human Rights Council.

You have to understand that Venezuela is a Left wing darling, so as such, they get a free pass for pretty much anything and everything.

Meanwhile, the Cheeto is Hitler.
The Cheeto is not Hitler. He may not even be fundamentally such a bad person.

But he is an arrogant buffoon with no use for the rule of law or behavioral norms. He shouldn't be President and I think you know that.

Really, whodey. Let's go support Bill Weld or Joe Walsh to primary the dim-wit. You like Bill Weld or Joe Walsh, don't you?

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@sh76 said
There's no inherent line to be drawn. But that enough members of the GA thought that the Maduro government is worthy of a spot on the Human Rights Council speaks volumes.

If you ask me what I think is *really* at play, I think it's that enough countries hate Trump and/or the United States enough to cast their votes in a manner specifically calculated to embarrass Trump and/or the United States... and that virtually nobody takes the HRC seriously anyway.
It's the General Assembly of the United Nations. A few of its members have a poor human rights record, some a terrible one and most a horrible one. What were you expecting?

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@kazetnagorra said
It's the General Assembly of the United Nations. A few of its members have a poor human rights record, some a terrible one and most a horrible one. What were you expecting?
Oh, I wasn't expecting anything better.

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@sh76 said
Oh, I wasn't expecting anything better.
Just a whodey-style "UN bad"-thread, then?

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@kazetnagorra said
Just a whodey-style "UN bad"-thread, then?
Ummm. Yeah. I started a thread to criticize an institution by pointing out another incidence of its misconduct.

That's never been done on this board by anyone but whodey.