Why are Human Rights groups bothering China when US is home to some of the worst personal crimes in the world?

[RM]

I do not understand why all these Human Rights organizations keep attacking China for its human rights policy when the US is the has some of the worst personal crimes (rape, murder, armed robbery) in the world. For example:

1) A young women can get lost anywhere in Shanghai at 4am in the morning without the fear of getting attacked or raped.

2) A women "cannot" walk around in 70% of Washington DC after dark without a serious the threat of getting raped or robbed.

These are the facts, so which country actually has more human rights? I believe women should have the rights to take a walk in the nation’s capital after dark don't you?

I don’t think the "oppression of human rights" are limited to what governments can impose on citizens, but it also extends to how citizens can oppress other citizens. My girl friend feels more free in China than we did in DC. I think these "self righteous" human rights groups completely missed this very important fact. What do you think?

[dirtyezi0]

iz liek aksin why ppl caer moar about sayftee of aminals an not ppls an babby fetus

[yukyuk101]

The freedom to feel the fear, outweighs the fear to feel freedom. or is it that humans in china have already bean raped and robbed? Remember you have been blessed with the freedom of perspective.

[ahiddentableau]

So basically you want to live in a police state? That's a remarkable position.

Yes, the crime rate in China is significantly lower than in the United States. And yes, evidence of the United States' contempt for human rights is published or broadcast on a daily basis. But you're argument has big problems. Just because China has a low crime rate does not mean its inhuman policies ought to be tolerated.

Although I agree with you that personal crimes are just as reprehensible as those committed (or implicitly sanctioned) by states, China's human rights record is absolutely appalling, and impossible to condone. You have the luxury to make decisions to walk at night in Shanghai. Most Chinese would never even have that opportunity. Slave labor, government restrictions, and corruption make them prisoners in their own nations.

Your basic argument is that oppressing people is perfectly justified so long as the crime rate declines. So why don't we just throw everyone in prison? Problem solved.

All crimes, regardless of who commits them, should be addressed. There's no reason to believe that China's crime rate is contingent upon its lack of civil liberties. Their government should be pressed to reform its oppressive policies because doing so is the correct moral position. If the United States appears hypocritical in the process, at least that would serve as a small incentive to reform its own failures on human rights issues.

[Lee L]

This is so bad. It is obvious that one of the responders "ahiddentableau" HAS NEVER BEEN TO SHANGHAI!!

What's sick is how he/she speaks about our people and culture in such appalling ways without ever stepping foot in our country! How would the you like it if the Chinese people started cursing your culture with baseless facts and rumors without visiting your country?

ahiddentableau says "You have the luxury to make decisions to walk at night in Shanghai. Most Chinese would never even have that opportunity."

What on earth does this mean? I'm Chinese and I walk around in Shanghai every day and night without fear of getting kidnapped by the government. I also don't know a lot of people who are slaves as you have suggested. I think there are things that still needs to be worked on here in China, but Mr. or Miss ahiddentableau, you are going too far in talking about a country you have never visited.

Besides, i belive the question was about whether or not a person's felling of safty is the same as human rights. To that I say yes. I feel safer in here in my home and enjoy my freedom, more than the time I got attacked and robbed and up in New Orleans 2002.

[cwomo]

Human Rights Violations by nations and groups (apples) are distinctly different and separate from individual criminal actions against society (oranges). Human Rights Violations are those that are committed against the people of a nation or group collectively. In individual crime, while a human and their rights are violated, the crime is not aimed at all of society. If you look at certain nations in Africa you will find their Human Rights Violations are among the worst in the history of mankind. And any person, male or female, has the right to walk on any street in America at any time of day or night. However, with rights come responsibilities - which include the responsibility we have to ourselves to avoid or not place ourselves into situations known to be risky or dangerous. Everyone should always be aware of their surroundings and the possibility of personal harm - even in Shanghai.

[terra221]

OK, China is definitely is not a "Police State" as one of the response suggested. I also agree that the person above, who used this term has never been to China before. The person who said this is obviously bias towards a belief and spoke solely on behalf of their belief, even if it is based on rumors and without merit.

I've lived in both the US and China, and I agree that China is still behind in many areas, but calling it a "police state where people are not free to walk around, and forced into slave labor" is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Let me just say that a lot of these human rights issues is nothing more than western media blowing things out of proportion, just like how Bush blew the Iraq and WMD issue out of proportion.

I had a satellite TV in China so I could get international news like BBC and CNN. What surprise me was how BBC intentionally and falsely reported 3 stories with in 3 months to discredit Chinese policies. I think for the most part BBC is a creditable news source, but not when it comes to China. In fact I've seen BBC telling straight up lies.

IE: A BBC story accused the Chinese government and media of hiding the missile tests that shot down a test satellite. The reporter said "In the Chinese media there is no mention of this missile test in the newspapers or the news".
But the thing is, I was sitting on my couch with a copy of Shanghai Daily newspaper and what do I see on the front page cover story? The missile test! The story was all over the Chinese news as well and every other media source. Why would BBC tell report such a false story? I will never know.

So please try not to believe everything you see and hear.

As for the question. I think it sucks that women cannot walk around most of Washington DC after dark. The sad thing is that it's not limited Washington DC, that's the case with many areas in America. If you want to talk about human rights in its most basic form such as enjoying a nice walk after dark, than I agree. Shanghai, and Beijing are a lot safer than Washington DC, and many US cities. Therefore it is easier for people to enjoy the simple pleasures of their existence in China. I’ve never thought about it that way, but yes.

But to be fair let me also say that most of the cities in China are very safe, but that is not the case for all the cities. There are areas in western China that are even worse than areas cities DC. Not rape, but robbery. Either way my feeling from living in major cities in both countries is that China is a lot safer than the America

[just plain jim]

China, is without doubt, the safest country I have been too. I am living here now, in part because of that and because I love the Chinese people........little of my decision has to do with their government.

What most people know of their government and China in general would fit in a thimble. What they THINK they know would fit in a barrel.

Read on:

---------------
. “China is now Communist in name only after three decades of market reforms which along with breakneck growth have brought income disparities, widespread corruption and an ideological vacuum.” BEIJING (Reuters) May 17, 2007.

That paragraph stunned me the first time I read it, for the first time in the west I have seen a major news organization, Reuters, accurately say that China is Communist in name only, something I have been saying since my first visit here.

Where I take exception to the paragraph is the tone and the impression it gives. By saying things like, “breakneck growth have brought income disparities,” while not pointing out we have roughly the same disparity, “widespread corruption,” without point out corruption has been a huge problem in China since the beginning of time while giving the impression it is a new phenomenon all while ignoring that China is currently taking huge steps to fight it, and the final blanket statement, “ideological vacuum.” Pretty much meaning, no freedom of thought, press, politics, social welfare, and economy. Claiming this has little bases on reality. There are tens of thousands of Chinese blogs that hit every issue under the sun, unfortunately for the west, its all in Chinese so it is little noticed. Press, there is state run papers as well as private. I know reporters from both and the state run are up to the edicts of the state, while the private ones, for the most part are not. Politics. For the most part, the Chinese people are pretty apathetic. This has nothing to do with repression, its that they really do not seem to care. The biggest reason is that they have had 5,000 years of repressive rule and it is only in the last two decade that is being reversed. Therefore, in China, apathy is a way of life. China has a social welfare system in place. Plus they have one of the biggest free market systems anywhere in the world where they encourage people to open businesses. 20 years ago, 100% of the businesses were state owned, now that is less then 30% and is being reduced daily as more and more is being handed over to private enterprise.
--------------

The above is but one aspect of China. There are more found through my profile.

Signed, an ex pat from the USA living in the heart of China.

Peace

Jim

.