One of the important functions of the instrumental use of human rights in the American foreign policy is to justify the policies that this country pursues in different parts of the world.
Pak Sahafat News Agency, International Group: The United States of America always shows itself as a defender and promoter of human rights in its foreign policy. At the same time, the actions of this country in different parts of the world, including the military campaign in Afghanistan and Iraq and the imposition of extensive sanctions against opposing countries, have led to widespread violations of human rights and in some cases committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The defense of rights in words and its widespread violation in practice has made human rights a tool to serve the national interests of the United States of America. Examining the actions of this country both at the level of foreign policy and in the field of domestic policy also shows that the view of the United States towards more rights is an instrumental view. In this note, an attempt will be made to answer the question, “How have human rights become a tool to serve the national interests of the United States of America?”
Human rights and foreign policy of the United States of America
What is the place of human rights in the foreign policy system of the United States of America? To answer this question, it should be said that the United States of America is one of the few countries that has an ideological foreign policy. With the difference that in many cases such as protecting human rights, promoting democracy and spreading peace, ideological foreign policy is used as a tool to secure the national interests of the United States of America.
For example, the United States of America justified the massive military attack on Afghanistan and the long-term occupation of this country under the pretext of promoting democracy in this country. But with the passage of more than two decades since the occupation of this country and its escape from it last year, it shows that expressions and words like promoting democracy are only a decorative layer in the foreign policy of this country to justify ambitious policies.
In the foreign policy of the United States during the past decades, human rights have mostly been a tool to put pressure on opposing and competing countries. During the Cold War, “human rights” was an efficient tool in the hands of the United States to penetrate the Soviet iron curtain and put America’s most important rival in a passive position. In later periods of history, the use of human rights by the United States of America has been instrumental. While American officials in their positions and statements show themselves as defenders of human rights values, in practice they not only establish close and tight relations with countries that violate human rights, but they also do not shy away from violating human rights.
The state of human rights in the United States
Despite all the efforts that the United States makes to make itself look like a defender of human rights, there are numerous cases of human rights violations within the United States of America. “Racism” is the main and most important approach that violates human rights that exists in many governmental and social levels of the United States of America. The widespread violation of the rights of people of color in the United States is an issue that has manifested itself in various forms in recent years. Apart from the social conflicts, the behavior of the police in this country with people of color has caused tragedies, which not only within the United States, but also the world has caused astonishment.
The way the United States of America deals with immigrants is another axis that causes criticism of human rights. Donald Trump’s passage of the “Remain in Mexico” law has resulted in the separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents at the US border. There are many other cases of widespread human rights violations in the domestic level of the United States of America, including the torture of prisoners, the use of women and children as tools, etc.
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Instrumental use of “human rights defense”
The role of human rights in US foreign policy is generally “instrumental”. But this tool is used with different goals and motivations according to time and place. In other words, human rights have different and numerous functions in the foreign policy of the United States. The most important of these functions are:
- Public Diplomacy
Perhaps the most important motivation for the United States of America to show itself as a defender of human rights values ​​is to promote public diplomacy and strengthen the country’s soft power. Of course, in practice, the United States has always been critical of human rights violations by its rival and opposing countries, and almost no serious action has been observed from this country in relation to human rights violations by countries such as Saudi Arabia. However, the apparent defense of human rights allows the United States to present a justified appearance of itself and the policies it pursues to public opinion.
The role of media under the command of the United States is prominent and important in this. In other words, the United States presents itself as the only defender and savior of human rights in the world with the help of the media, and they try that this process will ultimately strengthen the foundations of American domination over the world.
- Justification of ambitious policies
One of the important functions of the instrumental use of human rights in the foreign policy of the United States of America is to justify the policies that this country pursues in different parts of the world. The actions that the United States takes against its rival and opposing countries in most cases contain a section related to the defense of human rights. As an example, the sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran, which cause massive violations of people’s fundamental rights, are justified in the positions of American officials with the aim of defending human rights inside Iran.
At the time when the United States launched a military attack on Afghanistan and Iraq, human rights were also used as part of the justifications provided. At the same time, the United States has a black record in the field of observing human rights standards, which includes embargo, assassination, military attack, torture of prisoners, racism, etc.
- Pressure on competing and opposing countries
The United States of America has used human rights instruments against its rival and opposing countries at various times in history. As noted, almost all of the cases in which the United States has criticized a country or government for violating human rights have been against rival countries. In this regard, China, Russia and Iran have been criticized the most by the United States of America. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the president of the United States of America at the time, did not show a serious reaction to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Joe Biden also recently planned to travel to this country, despite the positions he had adopted, without considering the role of the Saudi rulers in the murder of the Saudi journalist. Criticisms of human rights make the rivals and opponents of the United States of America passive at the international level and ultimately defeated as it happened in the Soviet Union.
In conclusion, in addition to the fact that the United States of America does not have an acceptable track record in respect of human rights, it uses human rights instrumentally in different ways in foreign policy. Adopting the guise of defending human rights allows the United States to pursue its desired public diplomacy. Also, the defense of human rights provides a context for the United States to justify its ambitious policies that it pursues in different parts of the world. Finally, the accusation of human rights violations is a tool that is used against the rivals and opponents of the United States and puts them in a position of weakness and passivity.