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Since everybody should be free to choose what to think and what to believe - why the European Union is watching and not doing the same as US? They should also t
by pulse7 7y ago
Since everybody should be free to choose what to think and what to believe - why the European Union is watching and not doing the same as US? They should also to place top Chinese companies "on a blacklist over alleged human rights violations against Muslim minorities"...
- thefounder 7y agoUS really doesn't give a shit about human rights violations. I think all the grown ups know what these bans are for. It's the trade war, stupid! I can't stop thinking about that journalist butchered and Trump praising the arms deals with SA. Human rights and international law are brought up only when they serve US's interests so let's try to cut that bullshit on HN at least. US wouldn't mind if all the HK residents would be sent to concentration camps as long as it gets a "beautiful" trade deal with China.
- thepaperone 7y agoI hope you earned your 50 cents today. One (1) journalist is much different than one million (1,000,000).
- dashundchen 7y agoOn a related note, it was reported mere days ago that Trump personally promised Xi US government silence on Hong Kong during trade negotiations: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/politics/trump-xi-hong-kong-protests/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/politics/trump-xi-hong-kong-p...
- tathougies 7y agoBecause the European Union lacks a spine and is too busy infighting among themselves.
- simion314 7y agoJust remind you that Saudi Arabia the BFF of US is not respecting the human right of women, that is around 50% of the population if my math is right and women are human too.
- tathougies 7y agoOh right I forgot the EU stands up to Saudi arabia
- simion314 7y agoThe point is that if you think US is at war with China for human rights you are really naive or you have some interest/bias. Any clear mind can see this is all for economic reasons and bringing human rights topic in this discussion makes it so US appears hypocritical and it's spine made from dollar bills.
- CardenB 7y agoYou can fight China on human rights without fighting everyone on human rights. Why let perfect be the enemy of the good? Should we support china simply because we haven't fought Saudi Arabia on this?
- simion314 7y agoCan you link me to the Trump human right demands?
- tathougies 7y agoNo I don't think the US is at (economic) war with China for human rights. The US is at war with China for economic reasons. It also happens to hurt China at a time China is particularly egregiously violating human rights, so it's a double win for the US. Why the EU won't grow a similarly economically convenient spine is anyone's guess. China is a far bigger threat than Saudi Arabia ever was anyway. Moreover, to the Trump administration's credit, they are trying to remove foreign dependence on oil. You can believe that once this is achieved or another suitable energy store is found, Saudi Arabia will be the next economy to collapse under the weight of being unable to sell to anyone.
- simion314 7y ago
- bigpumpkin 7y agoBecause they want to reserve some ammo in case Trump puts a 25% tariff on all Mercedes and Audi's.
- nwellnhof 7y agoNo Western government really cares about human rights unless it's opportune. Why doesn't anyone put Saudi Arabia on a blacklist for human rights violations?
- noir_lord 7y agoHonestly they are rich and while they might be a disaster as a government they are firmly in our pocket. The House of Saud figured out years ago that their position makes them very useful.
- opportune 7y agoSadly western governments barely care even if it is opportune
- aianus 7y ago> Why doesn't anyone put Saudi Arabia on a blacklist for human rights violations Canada has basically cut diplomatic ties with KSA (more like they cut ties with us after we criticized their human rights record). Good riddance and I was proud to see it.
- bilbo0s 7y agoBut despite pretty good domestic production of your own, you guys still use the oil though. That's kind of the point. Not only do you still use the Kingdom's oil, but even Kazakhstan, and Algeria's as well.
- aianus 7y agoI see it the other way; it's telling that KSA didn't cut the oil off along with their other threats and actions because they realized it would only hurt them more than us. Just a pointless temper tantrum while they remain utterly dependent on foreign exports of their oil.
- dehrmann 7y agoThe lack of serious reaction over Jamal Khashoggi is sad and telling.
- tanilama 7y ago> why the European Union is watching and not doing the same as US? LOL. US is arguably the bigger foul than China to EU now. Airbus/German car manufactures are on the Trump's target list.
- SuoDuanDao 7y agoRealpolitik. You don't side with the dying empire against the rising one just because the old one would treat you better.
- toxik 7y ago“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” comes to mind. The EU needs to position itself so that it can make beneficial deals, both with the US and China. Coincidentally, environmentalism would lead the EU to freeing itself from the shackles of the petrodollar. I’m all for that.
- sharpneli 7y agoBecause this posturing is purely about the self imposed trade war US is having with China. One cannot seriously claim that Huawei selling an Android phone with Google Play on it would harm US national security, yet that is the official reason for banning it. US didn’t care about this issue before they needed more reasons to ban more chinese companies. ”Trade war” as a straight reason would not go well, it’s likely even against WTO rules.
- drak0n1c 7y agoChina has been violating WTO rules for decades and faces no repercussions within that framework.
- siruncledrew 7y agoIMO - the EU is a bit more calculated in their political/trade maneuvers, and does not start international confrontations with the same propensity the US does because multiple nations' economies are at stake in a union. Also, the US political/trade situation is not entirely certain given elections in 1 year. The EU doesn't know how this is going to play out yet. It's an international poker game.
- diediesel 7y agoBecause german carmakers that need somewhere to sell their old tech. In politics just like in crime, follow the money.
- zachguo 7y agoThe world is not working that way. In terms of geopolitical interests, the EU doesn't align with the US well.
- tirpen 7y agoSure, but then we would reasonably have to blacklist the US as well to be consistent (supporting the genocide in Yemen, putting kids in concentration camps, separating families from babies, rampant corruption, no rule of law, etc etc), and I don't think the EU would want to lose both those markets at once.
- 99_00 7y agoWould the US be doing what it's doing without Trump? During the 2016 election Trump's tough stance on China was widely seen as ignorant, unrealistic or a joke.