Human Rights In The Cold War

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Human Rights in the Cold War Introduction The question of the proper role of human rights in US foreign policy has been around since the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself, the first part of International Human Rights Law, in December of 1948. The document was voted for by all but some of the most extreme violators of human rights. It was a direct response to the crimes committed in World War II, and outlines the most elementary rights, necessary to uphold the inherent dignity of human beings, arguably the most important being the right to life, the right to be free from slavery, and the right to be free from torture. The United States, to its credit, was among the 48 states that ratified the Universal Declaration. In response, there was a supposed tension within the government continuing to this day, between “realists” and “idealists.” “Realists” are those who see the world for what it truly is: a Hobbsian realm in which states must act solely in their self-interest or perish. On the other hand are liberal “idealists,” somehow naïve enough to believe in international cooperation and a commitment of the United States to protecting human rights above strategic interests, as if the two were always at odds. However, it seems that within every US government, the idealists number few to none, while realists occupy positions of high power. As a result, the commonly followed doctrine is one of pursuit of human rights if and only if such pursuit happens to coincide with US strategic interests. Such limited support is more than just a little unsettling: it is completely fraudulent. One either values human rights as something worthy of protection of its own merit, or doesn't. In the view of the realists, and therefore the government, the US ought not to value human rights. This characterization may seem to be hyperbole;
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