John Brennan, President Obama's nominee to be the director of the CIA, argued for government censorship in his graduate school thesis, claiming 'too much freedom is possible' in a discussion of Egypt in 1980 under Anwar Sadat.
“Since the press can play such an influential role in determining the
perceptions of the masses, I am in favor of some degree of government
censorship,” Brennan wrote. “Inflamatory [sic] articles can provoke mass opposition and possible violence, especially in developing political systems.”
...
Brennan ultimately concluded that human rights do not exist because they cannot be “classified as universal.”
“The United States should be expected to pass a more strict human
rights test [than Egypt] because its environment is more conducive to
the realization of those rights,” Brennan concluded. “An economic
comparison between Egypt and one of its wealthy Arab neighbors such as
Saudi Arabia or Kuwait would be equally unfair due to the wealth of
those countries.”
“[T]he stage of economic development and political development have a
direct impact on human rights,” he wrote. “The former enables a
political system to offer its citizens welfare (e.g. health services)
and security (e.g. military defense).”
...
“The fact that absolute human rights do not exist (with the probable
exception of freedom from torture) makes the [human rights] analysis
subject to innumerable conditional criticisms,” he wrote. “The exact
definition of human rights and possible justifications for violations is
determined by a particular perspective. A change in perspective causes a
drastic change in the analysis.”
“Human rights, therefore, does [sic] not take precedence
over all other political goals,” Brennan concluded. “Since absolute
rights do not exist, any attempt by a nation to apply a human rights
test to another nation (e. g. Carter administration human rights policy)
is extremely difficult. Such a policy would be full of inconsistencies
and therefore its implementation would be onerous.”
In other words, Brennan favors double standards. By comparison, here's what the US Declaration of Independence has to say about human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That
whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is
the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their
Safety and Happiness.
By the way, here's a video of Brennan talking about Hezbullah in 2006. Let's go to the videotape (Hat Tip: Daily Caller).
President Obama has definitely found his ideological soulmates in John FN Kerry (who was confirmed on Tuesday), Chuck Hagel and John Brennan.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
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American voter's chickens - and red hens - are coming home to roost.
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