Michael Posner knows China’s horrific record – or he should. As Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, he is tasked by federal law to produce a report every year on human rights abuses worldwide. Even the average citizen, without this professional responsibility, knows of China’s persecution of Christians and religious people, gruesome one-child policy, and belligerence toward activists for freedom.
Yet, when meeting with a Chinese delegation in formal discussions on human rights, Posner couldn’t resist the opportunity to bash America.
Obama’s top official for human rights brought up the topic of Arizona’s newly passed immigration law in the first session of talks “early and often” – in other words, he couldn’t wait to bring it up – as if it were an example of America violating human rights. Perhaps, like every other Obama administration official, he hasn’t actually read it.
Clearly defined in the law and by Arizona lawmakers, it merely reinforces federal law and – as every law should – treats all people equally. Yet Posner claimed it is an example of America’s “discrimination or potential discrimination.”
Now, Michael Posner and his boss won’t last in their positions forever (or, as many pundits believe, not for long). However, there is a move underfoot to empower their ideological brethren to continue accusing America – from within America – of “human rights abuses” which are actually political differences.
CNS News reports that state and local “human rights commissions” are urging President Obama to create an interagency working group to implement “rights” generated by international bodies. These are distinguished from Constitutional rights, which are from God and limit government.
These human rights commissions not only want the U.S. government to enforce “human rights” created by foreign entities, they want federal manpower and money to investigate and accuse America of violations.
To be clear, if a true human rights abuse occurs in America, it must be prosecuted. That is the job of law enforcement. This new effort would merely create another bureaucracy –
however, more dangerous than that, a bureaucracy that seeks to implement foreign standards or “rights” within America.
“Human rights” is a term that itself has suffered abuse. While some “human rights” groups do admirable work, radicals have hijacked the movement. Amnesty International now promotes abortion worldwide. A Canadian human rights commission put author Mark Steyn on trial, charged with a “hate crime” for depicting Muslim beliefs. A New Mexico human rights commission fined a Christian photographer for declining to be hired by a lesbian couple for their commitment ceremony.
Judicial activism only goes so far. These quasi-courts and commissions fall outside the legal jurisdiction but can carry a wallop when they decide to target a person for violating their made-up standards.
Now these ideologues want the entire federal bureaucracy enforcing “standards” found outside the Constitution and not adopted by voters. And they want authority – a place at the international table – to criticize America for not measuring up to their radical vision.
Michael Posner is only the beginning.