# Issue of working with Human rights violators **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 2, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414 "2019-03-02T02:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/1 "2019-03-02T02:48:21Z")
I know there has been a lot of controversy of Trumps and other presidents appearing to ignore human rights violations and opening up relationships with them. I hold a view that if we rule out military overthrow our best long term strategy is to gradually weave them into the international market places as long as they continue to make concessions even minor ones as long as they are going in the right direction. This might mean on occasion condemning their actions but not necessarily pushing them completely back out. I would like to think that as they become more prosperous the threat of isolation might carry more weight and gradually they would begin to conform to international acceptable standards. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/2 "2019-03-02T03:16:15Z")
Yeah, simply refusing to deal with the country seems more like sticking our heads in the sand than taking the high road. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem right to be in contact but not address those issues or look the other way. And sanctions would have to be extremely clever to punish the leadership but not the people, or dismantle abuses without trampling on tradition. Not to mention, we would have to do some work to be considered a champion of human rights in our own territory. While the resources of our government would be useful, the actual strategies are probably better suited to activists and academics than career politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/3 "2019-03-02T03:28:14Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > And sanctions would have to be extremely clever to punish the leadership but not the people, … That’s exactly the purpose of the [Magnitsky Act](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnitsky_Act), which allegedly was part of the reason for the 2016 Trump Tower meeting: to lobby the Trump team for the repeal of the Act if Trump were elected. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/4 "2019-03-02T15:13:36Z")
Fine. And countries like China or Russia have no problem dealing with them. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/5 "2019-03-02T16:36:52Z")
Another way of helping these countries is to persuade dictators to step down (e.g. Idi Amin in exile in Saudi). Unfortunately the UK and EU bollixed that with their treatment of Pinochet. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/6 "2019-03-10T04:31:51Z")
What there should be is a United Democratic Nations where joining is based upon countries that have a proven track record of democracy and achieving human rights for their citizens. Benefits include free trade. Outsiders trade at a major disadvantage. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/issue-of-working-with-human-rights-violators/830414/7 "2019-03-10T06:54:01Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I know there has been a lot of controversy of Trumps and other presidents appearing to ignore human rights violations and opening up relationships with them. I hold a view that if we rule out military overthrow our best long term strategy is to gradually weave them into the international market places as long as they continue to make concessions even minor ones as long as they are going in the right direction. Just so I’m clear: best, long-term, for _us,_ or for _them,_ or — well, for _whom?_