I have been particularly struck by rhetoric out of Russia, claiming that cracking down on "pro-gay propaganda" is necessary to the preservation of their national heritage, which seems now to include the Orthodox Church (conveniently forgetting that that was outlawed for much of the 20th century). Examination of human rights issues is one of the criteria involved in inclusion or exclusion of countries from the EU, but so are judgements regarding monetary policies. I'm wondering to what extent some of these countries are openly thumbing their noses at EU economic and political policies in general by deliberately targeting vulnerable groups of people, and then passing it off as some form of positive national self-determination. That would appear to the be case in Greece, and possibly in Russia and the Balkans as well.
Obviously, it's disturbing to be made aware of the suffering of vulnerable people. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly easier to see through the hypocrisy of North American and Western European human rights discourses, given the inhumane treatment of people domestically and in foreign conflicts.
Ugh.
Oh, well. Back to work for now.
Peace,
KH
