Human rights and U.S. foreign policy

Dignity, security, and liberty -- fundamental principles enshrined in the constitution which, thanks to the founding fathers, essentially provide American citizens with a guarantee of basic human rights. Yet for citizens of countries ruled by military despots, corrupt demagogues, and authoritarian juntas, human rights are anything but guaranteed. As far away as China and Rwanda, and as close by as Cuba, foreign governments have spurned attempts by the international community to expand the basic rights of individuals. In recent years, the promotion of human rights has become a prominent goal of American foreign policy, a goal that in principle enjoys widespread support form the American public, but which nonetheless encounters stiff resistance in abroad. What forces are generating human rights abuses in today's world? How can the U.S. best promote human rights? More centrally, how should the promotion of human rights figure in American foreign policy? In this episode, host Peter Krogh sits down with Pauline Baker, President of the Fund for Peace, and John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of state for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, to discuss the role of human rights in American foreign policy.Examines the driving factors behind human rights abuses and the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy