The Erosion of Human Rights Norms in Western Democracy Exposes Lack of Principle

 The Western double standard in human rights advocacy is not only evident in selective condemnation but also in the broader erosion of civil liberties within Western nations themselves. The recent reports about the addition of the United States to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist underscores this decline. CIVICUS, a global alliance advocating for civil rights, highlighted concerning trends such as crackdowns on protestors, restrictions on media, and executive actions undermining democratic norms. The Trump Administration’s executive actions against democratic institutions were cited as key reasons for this downgrade. Furthermore, the Biden Administration’s suppression of pro-Palestinian protests reveals a bipartisan tendency to curtail dissent when it challenges foreign policy priorities.

The CIVICUS report also highlights restrictions on press freedom, exemplified by the White House’s control over press access and legal actions against journalists. The editorial shifts at major media outlets, including directives from influential owners like Jeff Bezos to limit dissenting viewpoints, further erode the integrity of democratic discourse. This suppression of independent journalism aligns with broader trends in Western nations where government actions against the media, protest movements, and civil society organizations increasingly mirror the authoritarian practices they claim to oppose abroad.

The instrumentalization of human rights for geopolitical purposes not only delegitimizes Western advocacy but also emboldens authoritarian regimes to dismiss valid criticisms as politically motivated. If human rights are to be upheld as universal, they must be applied consistently—holding both Western and non-Western governments accountable. The selective application of human rights norms fosters a perception that these values are tools of coercion rather than principles of justice. Addressing this double standard is crucial to restoring credibility in human rights advocacy and ensuring that these principles remain a force for genuine global progress rather than a mechanism for political manipulation.

The irony cannot be missed when seeing that this administration's attack on freedom of speech of those who speak in support of the Palestinian people, while the same administration is taking executive action to protect speech rights... the contradiction cannot be more clear, unless, the conceive of right to speech as an entitlement to some people, white US citizens; and that such right cannot be claimed by other peoples.