The Twilight of International Human Rights Law

Résumé du livre

In this work, legal scholar Eric Posner explains a paradox: the language of human rights is now the dominant mode of international moral criticism of governments, and yet the evidence suggests that most countries flagrantly violate the human rights treaties that they solemnly ratify. The prevailing consensus, he notes, is that governments should promote the well-being of citizens in their countries, and that in extreme cases, foreign countries should intervene and replace governments that fail to comply with this duty. The problem, he contends, is countries disagree on how they can achieve those goals. Posner closes by arguing that foreign aid provides a better model for pressuring governments to improve their treatment of citizens.