Hacker News Reader

Comment by briandear | Hacker News Reader

WHat would the US be expected to do? If they try to “help,” they get criticized for being imperialists, if they don’t help, it’s because of a CIA conspiracy.

Should the U.S. get involved more with Turkey? How about sanctioning Mexico for journalists being killed? Perhaps they should sanction Germany for arresting someone for exercising free speech (despite it being against German law.) Maybe Pakistan for tolerating revenge rapes order by local councils. There is a lot of nastiness in the world, yet for the U.S. it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Why doesn’t Europe do something about Thailand if we are suggesting that a foreign power should “do” something?

View on HN

Generally I agree. But that doesn't mean the US gov should be friendly with a military dictator, ala Trump's invitation for Thailand's military dictator Prayuth to visit[1]. Although arms sales to Thailand were initially put on hold after the coup it seems they are back on[2]. And Thailand's human rights abuses are not limited to free speech imprisonment. Human trafficking and slavery in the fishing and shrimp farming industry continues unabated while western markets continue purchasing the slave-produced products[3]. There are more than enough reasons to apply sanctions to the regime but, as I said, it's just too cooperative with US spooks to risk losing.

[1]https://www.voanews.com/a/thai-prime-minister-accepts-trump-...

[2]http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-thailand-idUSKBN19K193

[3]https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/mar/30/t...

I'd be interested to know what end products these fish go to from point 3.

Investigative journalists publish reports every year or so. You can probably find more recent ones, but here's one from three years ago[1]. Many of the big supermarket chains are the end points for the slave-produced seafood products, Walmart, Carrefour, Costco, Tesco and some others. I think last year a couple of them threatened to stop buying from Thai suppliers, not sure if they made good on it.

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/10/s...

"for the U.S. it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t."

They're not damned if they don't. They're damned by their inconsistency. And that inconsistency makes it very easy for people to jump to the conclusion that principles are merely used as an excuse to pursue an unrelated agenda, all the while holding themselves forth as the righteous facing up to "evil-doers".

I was about to say that the only principle we have the resources to enforce consistently is neutrality, but that ship sailed long ago--far before we decided to cut the Japanese off from oil and scrap metal.

Nobody wants the U.S. to go invade Thailand. American and other strong countries has a lot of soft power. People on the internet love to make fun of the "strongly worded letter", but that is how diplomacy and influence is done. It's certainly better than the false binary choice between doing nothing and starting a war.

> Why doesn’t Europe do something

We've started doing something:

https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/12...

How about sanctioning Mexico for journalists being killed?

Sanctions are only ever used as excuses for war. If USA actually gave a shit about Mexico we would cease the evil drug prohibition that creates and enriches gangsters who kill journalists. Don't hold your breath!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com