Good Riddance
I noted previously that the world class whiner, Mary Robinson, was leaving her post as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her insufferable arrogance was only matched by her complete cluelessness. But before she actually vacates the premises on Wednesday, she let loose yet another malodorous emission:

GENEVA - In a bleak assessment of the state of human rights a year after the Sept. 11 attacks - and in a last stand before she leaves her United Nations post on Wednesday, U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson accused governments of hiding behind the war on terrorism to trample on civil liberties and crush troublesome opponents.

"Suddenly the 'T-word' is used all the time," Robinson said, referring to terrorism. "And that's the problem."

No Mary, you and your wingnut pals are the problem.

Tracing developments over the past 12 months, Robinson said that the Bush administration had set the tone for the rest of the world by disregarding international conventions in its treatment of prisoners held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - not to mention its efforts to torpedo the International Criminal Court.

"The world needs leadership in human rights and the United States could give great leadership. It's not giving it at the moment, unfortunately," she declared.

...

Despite the current gloom and her regret that she wasn't more effective in stopping gross violations, Robinson said she took heart from progress in promoting acceptance of human rights as a fundamental part of development.

But she said the United States, in particular, needed to show more recognition of economic and social rights.

"Extreme poverty," was her blunt reply when asked what she considered to be the worst human rights violation.

Zzzzzz. Those dogs won't hunt outside the select circle of your pals, Mary. There's more Robinsonian blather in the article, but a better perspective is provided by Michael Rubin in Mary Robinson, War Criminal? whose punchline is

The European Union and the United Nations are sick with self-righteousness, moral equivalence, and appeasement, but Mary Robinson is just one symptom. Worthy international causes have been hijacked for narrow political agendas.

Accountability has become a dirty word. And looking the other way, especially regarding terrorism, has become a form of art. But then again, why reform if bashing Israel and sponsoring forums to promote anti-Semitism can reinforce your credentials in the eyes of your peers?

Sending hack socialist politicians off to international organizations has no magic effect. They are still hack socialist politicians.