Ferguson Situation Highlights U.S. Duplicity for America’s Critics Abroad
What does Ferguson, Mo., look like from afar right now? For some overseas critics of American foreign policy, it looks like a teachable moment to point out how the U.S. would do better to confront its own issues at home instead of policing the rest of the world.
What does Ferguson, Mo., look like from afar right now? For some overseas critics of American foreign policy, it looks like a teachable moment to point out how the U.S. would do better to confront its own issues at home instead of policing the rest of the world.
Also read: Freedom of the Press Endangered in Ferguson
As the BBC relayed Wednesday, the racially charged conflict in Ferguson illustrates how America can’t strike a superior pose when it comes to judging the social policies and human rights practices of other countries:
Much of the criticism comes from those the US has taken to task for human rights violations. They say that while US has tried to position itself as a defender of human rights abroad, it seemingly cannot uphold the same standard within its own borders.
Indeed, Amnesty International, the international human rights watchdog group, has deployed a team to Ferguson to observe law enforcement and support the community. It’s the first time the group has made such a move in the US, they said.
Such news contributed to a growing narrative abroad. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei lashed out on Twitter at what he considered to be the US’s crimes against its own people.
“Today the world is a world of tyranny and lies. The flag of #HumanRights is borne by enemies of human rights w/US leading them! #Ferguson,” he posted.
As would be expected, Chinese and Russian news sources also joined in, with one Op-Ed writer for China’s Global Times remarking that the situation in Ferguson “tells us that racism still overshadows minorities in the US even while they have a black president,” the BBC added.
–Posted by Kasia Anderson
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