I’m either pleasantly surprised or really cynical now that the entire country seems to be so concerned about human rights abuses in the Iraqi regime. I was completely appalled when the first reports of Saddam’s use of chemical weapons against the Kurds surfaced in the 80s. I don’t recall that much of an outcry from the general population, though. To be fair, on occasion, I do see the conservatives take countries to task for their human rights abuses (most notably Chinese persecution of Christian missionaries). However, by and large, it has seemed to me that human rights issues take a back seat to economic greed.
Now that everyone is on board with human rights, though, perhaps the US could actually lead the world into a new era where people are actually treated decently.
I don’t advocate outright embargos. Nor do I advocate instantaneous change in a regime (I don’t want to see China end up a chaotic mess like some of the Eastern European countries). However, we as a nation are under no obligation to trade, provide aid, or loan money to nations which commit severe human rights abuses. Therefore, I propose the following:
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For each and every country that is a non-democratic, human rights violator, we come up with a timeline for the implementation of reforms (it could be ten, twenty, fifty years depending on the country).
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We tie specific economic activity to each step in the plan. If a country fails to implement a step, then it doesn’t proceed to the next round of economic benefit until it does.
Some of the things which can be tied to the plan:
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MFN: A country only achieves MFN status when it reaches a certain point in democratic reforms and respect for human rights.
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Debt forgiveness: As a country proceeds along the plan, debt can be forgiven in incremental levels.
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IMF Loans: IMF loans should be contingent not just on economic reform, but on proceeding with democratic/human rights reform in a clear, consistent manner.
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Human Rights Tax: American companies doing business in these countries would be subject to a special tax. Proceeds from this tax would go into a trust fund which would be released to each country bit-by-bit as reforms progress.
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Trade Restrictions: While people need medicine, food, and shelter, nobody’s survival depends on a CD player or great tennis shoes. There would be trade categories for non-survival items, and as reforms progress, more and more trade categories would become available to said country.
Of course, this is going to cost us some money to do this. But, if the cause of freedom is worth fighting for and killing for, surely it is worth spending a little extra money. What do you all think? Are there any other things we can do economically to promote human rights?