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Let's put your vague hand-waving under the lens. The list of countries with whom Amnesty International are "in trouble" on that page: DRC, PRC, Russia, Sri Lank

Let's put your vague hand-waving under the lens. The list of countries with whom Amnesty International are "in trouble" on that page: DRC, PRC, Russia, Sri Lanka, USA (regarding Guantanamo Bay), Vatican (regarding a neutral stance on abortion), Israel, Syria, Iran. This sounds like AI are doing their jobs.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
They may well be doing their jobs, but it's important to acknowledge that India's accusation of "interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations" is substantially correct. They are indeed aiming to do that, and while it may well be good that they are, India's not the first country to be unhappy about it.
- zentiggr 6y ago
  Let them be unhappy about it. With everything I've heard about their moves to stifle internal dissent, it's going to take every voice possible to push back against them.
mc32 6y ago
>” Russian dissident Pavel Litvinov has said of AI's criticism of the US: "[B]y using hyperbole and muddling the difference between repressive regimes and the imperfections of democracy, Amnesty's spokesmen put its authority at risk. U.S. human rights violations seem almost trifling in comparison with those committed by Cuba, North Korea, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia” That’s from a Russian dissident, i.e. someone suffering under a regime known for heavy handedness.
- notsureaboutpg 6y ago
  But a Russian dissident is very very likely to be pro-US... Also, AI is not there to level judgment about who is worse, North Korea or US. It's there to document human rights abuses wherever they occur. So the premise that the effect of AI reporting is at all the point is false.
- tgb 6y ago
  I, for one, am happy to see my government held to a higher standard than Saudi Arabia is.
  - jacobr1 6y ago
    Me too ... but the problem is a perception that the _standard_ is the same. If the worst regimes can get away with framing the democratic systems of the US as equal to theirs it impedes progress and the effectiveness of criticism of those regimes. That doesn't mean we shouldn't find fault in the (many) issues with the US and other western democratic practices, but it does make it harder when we can just be dismissed as hypocrites.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

They may well be doing their jobs, but it's important to acknowledge that India's accusation of "interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations" is substantially correct. They are indeed aiming to do that, and while it may well be good that they are, India's not the first country to be unhappy about it.

zentiggr 6y ago
Let them be unhappy about it. With everything I've heard about their moves to stifle internal dissent, it's going to take every voice possible to push back against them.

mc32 6y ago

>” Russian dissident Pavel Litvinov has said of AI's criticism of the US: "[B]y using hyperbole and muddling the difference between repressive regimes and the imperfections of democracy, Amnesty's spokesmen put its authority at risk. U.S. human rights violations seem almost trifling in comparison with those committed by Cuba, North Korea, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia” That’s from a Russian dissident, i.e. someone suffering under a regime known for heavy handedness.

notsureaboutpg 6y ago
But a Russian dissident is very very likely to be pro-US... Also, AI is not there to level judgment about who is worse, North Korea or US. It's there to document human rights abuses wherever they occur. So the premise that the effect of AI reporting is at all the point is false.
tgb 6y ago
I, for one, am happy to see my government held to a higher standard than Saudi Arabia is.
- jacobr1 6y ago
  Me too ... but the problem is a perception that the _standard_ is the same. If the worst regimes can get away with framing the democratic systems of the US as equal to theirs it impedes progress and the effectiveness of criticism of those regimes. That doesn't mean we shouldn't find fault in the (many) issues with the US and other western democratic practices, but it does make it harder when we can just be dismissed as hypocrites.