Bush: "Really Hard To Tell" If China Has Improved Civil Rights

Washington Post:

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Aug. 4 -- Three days before he is set to arrive in Beijing for the Olympics, President Bush offered a mixed assessment of China's role in the world, praising its efforts to curb the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran, expressing disappointment about its recent move to help scuttle global trade talks, and saying that it is "really hard to tell" whether human rights in China have improved over the past eight years.

Bush said that he speaks candidly with Chinese President Hu Jintao about human rights, particularly religious freedom, and that he has shared his religious beliefs with Hu and Hu's predecessor, Jiang Zemin, urging them to lift restrictions on underground churches.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Skyhawk]

They were just taking notes from the 2004 NYC Repug convention.

[scooperss]

For him, I bet it is hard to tell if human rights are...................................well, human rights.

[jesuswazasocialist]

Its hard for Bush to even tell what an Human actually is.

[robotfog]

W. doesn't know what a civil right is. That's what makes it difficult.

also - I found out how to get around the problem with the comments. Add this "?page=[page number]" at the end of the URL in the address of your browser. Don't use the quotes or the brackets. Put the page number after the EQUAL sign.
Add it right at the end of the URL with no spaces. the question mark is needed.

[maxdenn]

And what has this president done to improve civil rights in this country?

[Grunty1]

Nothing, but he has done plenty to DAMAGE them.

[openhand]

Hu Jintao: "Really Hard To Tell" If the U.S. Has Improved Civil Rights.

[IntelligentDesign]

This might be news if it weren't from a person who has a really hard time distinguishing right from wrong.

[democritus]

The Chinese are using the Olympics as an excuse to install a carpet of security cameras, a permanent installation to be used to control their populace. Of course the source of this strategy is the modern West, in which the government is using its new technical abilities to consolidate a degree of power unanticipated by the founders. We need a new effort to affirm rights under the ninth and tenth amendments--those rights openly disparaged by those who find no rights in the Constitution besides those specifically enumerated--right now it appears that the constitution has few defenders of its central ideas. We see in China an emerging fascist state which is quite similar to what is occurring here. Look at the story (I think NYT) about preparations in Denver--an overwhelming and stifling display of essentially military force which MUST have a chilling effect on the right to assemble, demonstrate, press for redress, etc.

[robotfog]

The constitution does need those changes. We need to specify some of the actions that the forefathers couldn't foresee. If it's not specific, then meatheads use illogical arguments to get their way around the intent that most people see immediately.

[CocteausTwin]

Hard to tell? Really Mr. President.

[trollsbwild]

Anything is difficult to anyalyse for this mental masterpiece!

[hip dibler]

america is hardly in a position to talk to anyone about human rights.

[LordMoon]

Duh? Guess that makes it easy, not to do anything, because you don't have hard Intelligence.

One thing's for certain though W. they have all our money. So better be nice.

[booksnmore4you]

It's really hard to tell if a hurricane has hit Texas today, too.

[MilwaukeeMike]

I wonder if the goals in China are similar to the goals stated for Iraq:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html

[TheDoc]

No Hurricane hit, Edouard made landfall as a tropical storm...