Obama Asks For It...

...and gets it.

The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a long-standing joke paid for largely by U.S. taxpayers.  Current members include such exemplary human rights examples as Iran, Cuba, Libya, and North Korea.  Until Obama's administration, basically the U.S. held its nose, forked over its share of the payment, and studiously ignored the UNHRC.

But the Obama administration decided to be more participatory, sending three State Department representatives to be grilled by the UNHRC on questions about the U.S.'s human rights performance.  Naturally, the UNHRC members gleefully took the opportunity so stupidly provided, lecturing the U.S. representatives.  For example, the North Korean representative told the U.S. “to address inequalities in housing, employment and education”, and to “prohibit brutality…by law enforcement officials.”

But it got worse.  After three hours of such treatment, Michael Posner (Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor) said “thanks to very many of the delegations for thoughtful comments and suggestions”.

I'm sure the UNHRC members have greatly increased respect for the U.S. after this experience...