The price of rights

If I were writing this column a year ago, I probably would have opened with some sarcastic comment about how George W. Bush should be a president who cares about human rights for Halloween. It seems, however, that Bush did something incredibly historic a few weeks ago: He became the first sitting U.S. president to appear publicly with the Dalai Lama.\nNow, I know what you’re thinking: How does standing next to a monk somehow exonerate a man who put the Middle East in a blender, trampled on our Fourth Amendment rights and has maintained secret prisons throughout the world that practice torture? The short answer is that it doesn’t. But when put in the proper perspective, it becomes clear that Bush deserves some points for standing up to China. \nIt is certainly sad that meeting the Dalai Lama could be characterized as one of the most defiant things a Western leader has done to China lately, even as President Bush avoided the Oval Office, where political leaders are usually welcomed. \nOut of the ten countries with the largest economies, China stands alone as the only one that isn’t a multi-party democracy. It offset efforts to try and pressure Myanmar’s military junta, and it continues to invest in Sudan: making the genocide in Darfur harder to stop. By prioritizing its economic interests in Iran, it has prevented the emergence of a united front against nuclear proliferation. \nIt might appear strange that while many politicians don’t hesitate to associate Iran with World War III, few harsh words are ever dished out about China. The costs of deriding a key player in international diplomacy and one of your biggest trading partners are apparently too much for most leaders. Some members of the European Union even seem to think that China is onto something with this whole “why discriminate against evil despots oppressing their people” approach and are calling for a new policy towards dictators in Africa. \nMany activists believe that viewing civil liberties through a kind of cost-benefit approach is far too utilitarian; groups on campus such as Students Taking Action Now Darfur and Students for a Free Tibet often stress China’s abysmal human rights record. \nDespite the temptations for the West to retreat from its moral high ground amid claims that it has often made conflicts worse and used human rights and democracy as geopolitical tools, now is not the time to step back. The West needs to establish a new consensus with China on how to deal with questionable regimes and it is about time that we leveraged the 2008 \nOlympic Games. \nIt is probably too late for an independent Tibet, but giving the region genuine autonomy would be an important step for human rights in China and the world. If the United States decides it is worth the cost it can help make it happen.