Political Quotes

“I heard all these arguments before against United States involvement on human rights issues. We were told with the Soviet Union that the United States would be alone. Just the opposite was the case when we stood up and denied most-favored-nation status to the Soviet Union. Other countries followed the United States leadership. I heard the same arguments about South Africa, that would hurt the blacks of South Africa. By standing up for human rights, we have brought down that apartheid government of South Africa. We said that we were going to hurt our own interests because of the richness of South Africa and their natural resources. We stood up and we changed South Africa. When the United States leads, the world will follow. China's human rights record is horrible. Listen to our own State Department. I quote: Overall in 1996, the authorities stepped up efforts to cut off expressions of protest or criticism. All public dissent against the party and government was effectively silenced by intimidation, exile, the imposition of prison terms, administrative detention, or house arrest. Nonapproved religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, also experienced intensified repression as the government enforced the 1994 regulations.”