A Don Quixote Moment:

UN Planning to Take on Trump's America

Rasa - The United Nations Commission for Human Rights says it is planning to take on President-elect Donald Trump over his "ghastly" campaign promises.

News ID: 425335

Date: 26 November 2016 - 22:10

RNA - The Commission says it will speak up and condemn if Trump puts any of those ghastly campaign pledges into action.

It’s a Don Quixote moment. The Commission's armchair warriors don't have what it takes to prevent the Trump administration from violating or rescinding human rights principles – even if they come up with strategies to deal with the man who was elected on a mandate of racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, vowing to implement a "Muslim registry," reinstate torture, and build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Lest they forget, the United States began straying from universally accepted human rights norms from the moment it was discovered. Columbus discovered "The New World,” but he also did lay the groundwork for generations of colonialists to loot and plunder as per a systematic blueprint that exists even today.

This criminal legacy has influenced everything, from imbalanced global trade deals to support for Israel's occupation of Palestine, colonial wars of aggression and domination, police brutality and mass incarceration, racism and discrimination against people of colour and Muslims, CIA black ops and torture program, regime change military campaigns, as well as plundering the resources of "The Old World" in the name of democracy and freedom.

Make no mistake, the situation will get worse under Trump, as his presidency comes amid a turbulent global human rights landscape, especially with far-right parties on the rise in Western Europe. Just like the numerous UN resolutions which failed to change Israel’s criminal behaviour towards the Palestinians, any plan by the UN Commission will equally fail to force Washington to comply with international human rights norms and treaties:

1. The Commission has in the past cited deep concerns about racist, heavy-handed and discriminatory policing practices, serious problems with immigration enforcement policies, as well as discrimination against Muslims and minorities. But it has never held the US government to account or take punitive measures at the UN.

2. The Commission has in the past condemned America’s refusal to investigate reports of torture and cruel treatment of minorities and terrorism suspects. But it never said Washington has to release inmates and stop the discriminatory policy.

3. Any plan by the Commission to take on or condemn the Trump administration for putting his ghastly election pledges into action won't be legally binding. It cannot hold the US to account.

4. History reveals that the UN will never investigate the US cases of racism and discrimination against minorities, unlawful detention and forced deportations, killing, torture or ill treatment of inmates, minorities and terrorism suspects, let alone prosecute perpetrators.

There’s little holding the UN Commission to following these and it has a long way to go to earn its claimed position as world's protector of human rights. It’s rather immature to think that the new occupant of the White House will ever take corrective steps in response to UN concerns.

The new president, just like his predecessor Obama, doesn't have the potential to be a real leader as he represents the Republican Party - not the real people. Trump has shown with his choice of cabinet members that he will continue the Obama policy of torture and cruel executions, racial oppression, human rights violations, and police brutality.

The Don Quixotes of the UN Commission can tell President Trump to clear America's human rights mess until they are blue in the face, but he won't do it.

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