French Actions in African Nation: Is the Standard Too High?

[Aquamarine]

Finished reading now, this seems to be mainly about freedoms. Not the worst violation of human rights in my opinion, this is just another attempt to push western ideals on other cultures.

Freedom House measures freedom according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties. Political rights enable people to participate freely in the political process, including through the right to vote, compete for public office, and elect representatives who have a decisive impact on public policies and are accountable to the electorate. Civil liberties allow for the freedoms of expression and belief, associational and organizational rights, rule of law, and personal autonomy without interference from the state.

http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/methodology.htm

Or you can read about the torture and murders that takes place in the countries mentioned before:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/engworld
http://www.hrw.org/countries.html
http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/

 

[Smurf]

To answer your question then, why are these crimes not reported on mainstream media.

I havn't read through the entire sites but it seems that a select few have happened recently,
my best guess would be that they probably were mentioned on CNN or some equivilent, but they likely only got a short blurb after which they were deemed to have limited effect on consumerism and therefor were scrapped for stories directly affecting [insert capitalist country] citizens.

 

[Aquamarine]

To answer your question then, why are these crimes not reported on mainstream media.

I havn't read through the entire sites but it seems that a select few have happened recently,
my best guess would be that they probably were mentioned on CNN or some equivilent, but they likely only got a short blurb after which they were deemed to have limited effect on consumerism and therefor were scrapped for stories directly affecting [insert capitalist country] citizens.

The crimes in these countries have in some cases occurred for decades. Yet they receive almost no attention compared to the US or Israel. As I said before, this probably because the censorship on the media is quite effective in these countries and journalists prefer to work in more free countries. Which is quite dangerous since it gives a wrong picture of where most human rights violations occurs.

 

[Smurf]

A journalist may wish to live in a western nation but there is no reason why a CNN reporter can't go over to China and do a story on it, I can't see why China would put up a half decent fight to stop them they're main opponent is their own people.

 

[Gokul43201]

http://www.freedomhouse.org/media/pressrel/040204.htm

I find it surprising that Zimbabwe is not among the "most repressive societies" in this list. Perhaps it's repressive only for the whites ? But even that's not nearly true...

I remember reading a list put together by Freedomhouse and Amnesty which had Mugabe in the top 10, among the worst dictators presently in power.

 

[Aquamarine]

A journalist may wish to live in a western nation but there is no reason why a CNN reporter can't go over to China and do a story on it, I can't see why China would put up a half decent fight to stop them they're main opponent is their own people.

You really believe the Chinese are going to let a journalist interview some of the people in their slave labor camps? Or even see the camps? Or that someone critical can to talk to the journalists without being punished?

 

[Aquamarine]

I find it surprising that Zimbabwe is not among the "most repressive societies" in this list. Perhaps it's repressive only for the whites ? But even that's not nearly true...

I remember reading a list put together by Freedomhouse and Amnesty which had Mugabe in the top 10, among the worst dictators presently in power.

Zimbabwe is mentioned in the article, although not in the top 15.

 

[Smurf]

Perhapse my post was naive, No I don't expect a CNN reporter to walk in and write a full report on them, but you've already shown in your above links that we can get the information, so the question isn't a matter of a Chineese cover up, its a matter of western media not wanting to present it to the public.

 

[vanesch]

No, that is what I am saying. Why should there be less criticism of regimes with much, much worse human rights violations?

Well, the US is indeed held to higher standards than your average dictatorship, and this for two reasons. First of all, I thought that the US saw itself not as "an average dictatorship" but tried to be better than this, so we keep you to your own standard. You should be proud of that, no ?
But second, the US seems to act as if it were the good messiah, bringing the ultimate good to all the people in the world. Then you should be held to the highest standard possible - I don't think you make it on that one, though. The US is a great nation. But you're not as great as you think you are.

 

[vanesch]

You believe world opinion favors the Israelis?

Until a few years ago, in the Western world ? Yes, definitely. It is only recently (in fact mostly since Sharon is in power) that the media in Europe (I don't know if that's the case in the US) show a more balanced view.

 

[Aquamarine]

I will answer the US-bashers in this thread instead of separately in many:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=370047#post370047

 

[tumor]

There is certainly a double standard. The US and Israel are democracies and allow relatively free reporting. The countries with the worst violations allow no free journalists and are therefore ignored in the media.



http://www.freedomhouse.org/media/pressrel/040204.htm

Allways naive people repeat this same slogan, how israel is democratic and is a beacon of freedom in the sea of arab terror.
Nothing could be furthest from truth,Israel discriminates against non-jews on a daily basis.Israel discriminates against marrying non-jews,it discriminates against arab-israelis and not to mention government aproved killing and hummiliating Palestinian people.
You can stuff this "Democracy" in your a******! but not mine!

 

[Smurf]

I will answer the US-bashers in this thread instead of separately in many:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=370047#post370047

Aquamarine, I do not believe anyone here is US-Bashing, but if anyone is I assure you he/she does not respresent the majority of us. I don't hate America, I hate it's corporations and it's Media.

 

[cragwolf]

The French are some of the most vile people on Earth.

Watching the moderators do their job is almost like watching paint dry. Almost, because in the end, paint does actually dry.

 

[Evo]

Cragwolf, I have French nationality and most of my family still lives in France. I don't agree with Graveneworld, and Smurf had a great response.

 

[Mercator]

(Oh, another parallel -- Côte d'Ivoire was the most economically powerful West African nation... maybe the French were just after the cocoa!)

Actually most of the cocoa trade is done via the Netherlands. But of course the French MUST have something to do with it according to the common logic. Maybe it's FRENCH speaking Dutchmen. (the thought alone gives me nightmares)

 

[Smurf]

Cragwolf, I have French nationality and most of my family still lives in France. I don't agree with Graveneworld, and Smurf had a great response.

*beams happily*

 

[cragwolf]

Cragwolf, I have French nationality and most of my family still lives in France. I don't agree with Graveneworld, and Smurf had a great response.

Fair enough. I apologise to you.