Australia and the Netherlands join the U.S., Canada, Israel and Italy in boycotting

[cali]

the Geneva UNHRC Conference on Racism. I have mixed feelings on this, but there's little doubt that the conference is the epitome of a bad joke. Having countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe in the lead on such a conference, not to mention other countries with atrocious records when it comes to women and Gays and Lesbians and others, is simply sad.

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE53I0UT20090419

[sufrommich]

1. I have no mixed feelings about it at all. Better to expose the

hypocrisy than play their game.

[panader0]

2. Looks like we got us a "coalition"

[cali]

3. looks like other countries have doubts about this sham of a conference.

[ixion]

4. yeah, countries with racism issues

It's not the conference that's a sham, it's the countries who are scared to look themselves in the mirror, IMO.

[cali]

5. what about the countries attending that block any discussion of

their own racism, sexism and homophobia? (In case you were unaware, the issues covered extend or are supposed to extend beyond racism). Are you actually contending that Zimbabwe, Iran, Sudan, etc, are countries that are unafraid to look in the mirror? That anyone here could believe that, strains credulity. And yeah, I don't just believe, I KNOW that Sudan's and Zimbabwe's and Iran's human rights records are worse than the countries not attending, with the exception of Israel.

[ixion]

9. well, I think there's a strong argument to be made that ALL countries

have racism problems, and any one of them who denies it are just as bad as any other.

And I would argue that US human rights violations are as bad or worse than Sudan, et. al. We just put the smiley face of fascism on our abuse, and then pay off the folks who might be offended...or torture and kill them... or have them assassinated.

[Raineyb]

6. Coalition of the ostriches

Looks like what some countries are saying is "we'll lecture you, you don't get to say shit to us."

Not really much of a surprise there.

[cali]

7. lol. the ignorance on this thread is... amusing

for years and years, countries like Sudan, Zimbabwe and others have been blocking any condemnation of human rights abuses in their own countries and in countries with human rights abuses that make the U.S. look good. And you are right on board with them. Do you know anything at all about the HRC? Anything about the human rights histories of some of the countries taking the lead in Geneva? Are you aware of some of the crap that transpired at Durban?

It appears as if you don't, but hey, you want to express solidarity with Sudan and Zimbabwe and Iran re their human rights records, you go for it. Just don't mind me for laughing at you. And no, I'm not saying that the U.S. doesn't have its own human rights abuses to account for.

[panader0]

8. I was making a joke about bush's coalition in Iraq. Big difference.