Respecting human rights is not just "something nice to do" or simply "the right thing to do."
It's also not just the legal thing to do.
👉 It's essential for human security - locally, nationally & internationally.
Expecting governments to respect human rights - rather than letting leaders get away with their crimes, which only bolsters their power - will save you a lot of security-related troubles down the line.
Think of the alternative histories you could write...
Imagine the EU hindered rather than helped Orbán cement his authoritarian power in Hungary...
Imagine Europe didn't enrich Putin, helping him consolidate power...
I mean, that's really why human rights laws exist in the first place: not just because they capture our ideals about human dignity, but also because - as humanity has learned the hard way over the centuries - they are crucial to our security and prosperity.
Look after the "smaller problems"... prevent them from building & growing... block abusers from getting more powerful... and you'll help avoid the "bigger problems" later on.
@andrewstroehlein I think I speak for just about everyone who is not a despot when I say that we wish human rights were upheld everywhere in the world. The real conundrum is how to force despots to recognize human rights without getting involved in catastrophic conflicts. Sanctions are the only real non-military intervention; but just look at North Korea where their local madman allows his people to go through the closest thing to hell on earth just to hold onto his power. War does not seem to be a very good solution, so what is? I genuinely wish I knew.
