Are Americans Ambivalent to Human Rights?

Much of the world easily embraces the principle that everyone is entitled to basic human rights – including a decent job, housing, healthcare, food security. Are Americans ambivalent? If yes, is it more of an attitude? What can be the solution? Lets hear it from you........

This was posted on Sociologists Without Borders' ThinkTank website.

Below is my posted reply:

I agree with Judith that American ambivalence is (both regrettably and thankfully) a generational thing.

I believe that a lot of our (American) understanding of basic human rights and socialism stems from Cold War ideology and weltanschauung. Simply uttering words such as “socialism, Marxist, communism” quickly brings an associated negative response. Americans have been conditioned to disregard whole ideological frames.

I agree with whoever it was who talked about the slow change in Detroit. For much of America, life (or affording what has been deemed by society as an acceptable standard of living) is going to become much more difficult to afford. This, historically, has led to new ideas, resistance to programs and government that are not providing or looking out for its people, and eventually, change.

I was very hopeful when the presidential race started up around last year and thought “finally, we are going to start talking about real issues as well as what we can do to change the status quo”. But this has not happened. Even with a candidate who supposedly fully embodies the principle of change, the media and the American public has remained grounded in speculation and gossip (flag pins and “terrorist fist jabs”).

We have refused to believe that we have been a negative force internationally during the Bush Administration. We have blown off our ‘torture policy’ and horrendous practices in Guantanamo and Iraq – because ultimately, what we are doing is good, right? Typical ‘ends justifying the means’ rhetoric.

We obviously can talk the talk, but aren’t willing to walk the walk. Sometimes this is market driven (like overlooking appalling working conditions for factory workers who slave to create Sean John shirts or Nike shoes). Sometimes this is ignorance driven (like when we refuse to get involved in preventing genocide or other human rights abuses because ‘it isn’t our responsibility’).

I think a whole new generation of Americans is growing up, paying more attention to human rights, appalled at America’s track record. While I hope this signals a shift in policy, I am regrettably more pessimistic.

When I speak in schools about human rights issues, such as the condition of IDP and refugee camps, child soldiering, and genocide, students genuinely seem to care. It is the impetus to action that is missing. It seems to me that they are completely unaware, or ignorant of what they can do to promote change. This, unfortunately is not a generational thing.

These problems are perceived as too big for one individual to tackle and make a difference. What a shame.

Anyone who has ever been to the developing world knows that one person can make a huge and meaningful difference. For me, knowing this calls for an end to semantic debate. It is a call to action. It is just that in America, inaction is far easier. It is so much easier to ignore the suffering around us and concentrate on the new reality show on television, or spending our money on the new consumer plaything on the market.

For the past year I have been involved in rehabilitating a small group of former child soldiers at a refugee camp in Ghana. While working there, I have been amazed to see how many students opt to spend a significant block of time volunteering in Africa. I think this is a new trend – I don’t know. It could be the best kept American secret. If it is a new trend, it gives me great hope for the future.