Can we please not pretend to miss the obvious truth ? Here's the choices we've already made :
What is more important ? "respecting" religion or human rights [1]. Choice made : "respecting" religion (read: letting muslims execute ex-muslims, gays and ...)
What is more important ? Peace with China or human rights (See Tibet, XinJang and ...) ? Choice made : peace/trade with China.
What is more important ? Communism(/socialism) or human rights ? (because in the case of Cuba and Venezuela they're opposing forces) Choice made : communism is more important.
What is more important ? Human rights or the Trade with Indonesia (muslim state, executes gays, has plans to execute ex-muslims, ...) ? Trade with Indonesia
Human rights are dead letter. Why ? Because we've chosen against them. The same goes for this principle.
I think I'm going to save this one. I think there is a T-shirt in there somewhere, something like on the front "Get dressed or Cure Cancer?" on the front and "Damn, guess I'll have to Cure Cancer tomorrow." on the back :-)
What do these rules matter ?
Can we please not pretend to miss the obvious truth ? Here's the choices we've already made : What is more important ? "respecting" religion or human rights [1]. Choice made : "respecting" religion (read: letting muslims execute ex-muslims, gays and ...) What is more important ? Peace with China or human rights (See Tibet, XinJang and ...) ? Choice made : peace/trade with China. What is more important ? Communism(/socialism) or human rights ? (because in the case of Cuba and Venezuela they're opposing forces) Choice made : communism is more important. What is more important ? Human rights or the Trade with Indonesia (muslim state, executes gays, has plans to execute ex-muslims, ...) ? Trade with Indonesia
Human rights are dead letter. Why ? Because we've chosen against them. The same goes for this principle.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia