The Pot Calling The Kettle Black

For years now, the United States has accused China (among other nations) as being guilty of human rights violations, and I have no doubt that this is probably true. But now China is returning the favor. Today China accused the United States of human rights violations.

China said the U.S. has no right to criticize human rights in other countries when it has serious human rights violations of its own. The Chinese report said, "As in previous years, the State Department pointed the finger at human rights conditions in more than 190 countries and regions, including China, but avoided touching on the human rights situation in the United States."

The Chinese pointed out serious problems in America such as child poverty, racism, mistreatment of prisoners, the place of women in our society, and the civilian deaths in Iraq. Of course they are right.

And the situation has just gotten worse since George Bush and Dick Cheney took office. Now we can add invasion of privacy rights, denial of habeas corpus, military "kangaroo" courts, inequitible tax laws, and mistreatment of immigrants.

Sometimes I think the only right Bush wants us to have is the right to agree with whatever he wants to do. Anything else is surely a violation of "national security". Under Bush and Cheney, corporations have more rights than citizens do.

Maybe it's time for the U.S. to stop hurling accusations at other countries until we start to work on our own human rights problems. Until then, we are just the pot calling the kettle black.