Commentary: West Should Work With, Not Against, Russia In Handling Ukraine Crisis

[sabrina 1]

48. Hypocrisy all over the place, isn't there? If only there was one nation whose hands were clean

enough to be able to stand proud and say 'look at us, WE are what the world should emulate, we have never tortured anyone because we respect the human rights of all people. We have NEVER invaded another sovereign nation or supported vile dictators, or homophobic governments in return for permission to spread our empire all over the world. WE have never back an illegal coup d'etat in Latin America, Venezuela, Honduras, Chile or anywhere else.

We believe in democracy, in our system of law and respect International law. We have never mowed people down for peacefully demonstrating against their government's policies, or passed laws that oppose granting rights to minorities.

I know, it's hard to tell who I am talking about. Each one included in my teeny tribute to world powers despite their dismal records on human rights has the same gall to point fingers elsewhere.

What is really sad is that this country should have been the one who COULD have pointed fingers, who could have come from a position of respect, but we have thrown that precious power away, not so much because we had a corrupt, lying, criminal administration for eight years, that can happen in a democracy, but because we 'moved forward' and dismissed the deaths, the maimed, the wrongfully imprisoned, the tortured and instead, treated the criminals like elder statesmen and women.

NO ONE of any of the players in this latest but now familiar scenario, has the moral authority to speak about democracy, honesty, integrity and/or human rights.

Let's try to stop pretending. Maybe if this country finally acknowledged it lost its moral but pledged to do something about it, instead of pointing fingers elsewhere when everyone knows our history on these matters, then maybe, we could start all over again. Meantime our authoritarian admonishments to others for the same transgressions we are guilty of, only costs us even valuable respect around the world.