The United States was placed on the watchlist because of violations of civil liberties. The United States once marched at the head of the democratic column; now it slogs along with the likes of Serbia and the Republic of the Congo, among the world’s human rights know-nothings. This intense jolt in its international status has given rise to worries over the future of American democracy and how far its protection of fundamental rights will stretch.
Why the United States Was Added to the Human Rights Watch List
America has traditionally held a position as the bastion of democracy and liberty, but new trends in politics have shown a sobering reality. Human Rights Watch’s listing of the US as a global watchlist country highlights growing alarm over threats to civil liberties, political freedoms, and human rights protections in the US. Nations Watch’s report identifies a range of key issues undermining the country’s standing.
Diminishing Freedom of Speech and Expression
This is partly due to the erosion of free speech in the US, and it is one of the main drivers for US’s mention on the watchlist. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of speech, but society’s response to dissenting speech has become increasingly hostile in recent years. Social media companies were once viewed as bastions of unfettered free speech, but have faced increasing pressures by both political leaders and private companies to limit some types of speech. These efforts have been targeted at political dissent, activism, and marginalized voices, inducing a chilling effect on free-expression.
Suppression of Protests and Civil Disobedience
Increasing American forcefulness has even been reflected in the use of force against peaceful protest, as with the US reaction to movements like Black Lives Matter. Protests calling for racial justice, police reform, and economic equity have been met with ever more heavy-handed responses from law enforcement, including tear gas, rubber bullets and mass arrests. In some cases, demonstrators have faced militarized police forces, which calls into question the ability to freely assemble and voice dissent.
Racial Discrimination and Inequality
Racial inequality is still among the greatest human rights challenges the United States faces. The national criminal justice system has long been permeated by systemic racism at all levels of law enforcement, as evidenced by the sharp disparities in incarceration and police violence suffered by Black Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities despite decades of civil rights progress. The mass protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in 2020 were an urgent reminder of the enduring presence of racial injustice in the United States. Though still some reforms have been presented, the overdue reform has taken time to arrive for the various things, and the gap between different races has continued to rise up in several things such as education, health care, housing, etc.
Immigration Policy and Human Rights Abuses
The treatment of immigrants, especially asylum seekers and undocumented people, is another major issue undermining US human rights rankings. The country has employed increasingly rigorous immigration policies, from family separations at the southern border to housing children in packed facilities. Human rights organizations have expressed outrage over such actions, criticizing them as a violation of international law and human rights standards.
Causes of the Deteriorating US Human Rights Record
Understanding why the US has been added to the human rights watchlist requires zooming out a little and noting the background of this political landscape and the recent changes in policy. There are several factors that have led to this deteriorating human rights record in the country.
The Trump Administration’s Effects
The policies of the Trump administration have been a significant contributor to the current human rights challenges facing the US. From the controversial “Muslim ban” to the separation of families at the southern border, the Trump era featured a number of actions that critics say eroded human rights protections. And although the Biden administration has tried to undo some of these policies, the damage to the US’s standing in the world has proved more durable.
Political Polarization and Democratic Norm Erosion
The United States is undergoing and most seems to be experiencing for the first time unprecedented political polarization, deep ideological divisions that seem likely to destabilize the democratic process. There is growing concern as political factions become increasingly entrenched, that democratic norms are eroding — norms such as the rule of law, respect for institutions, and the independence of the judiciary. This polarization has been accompanied by rising rates of political violence and extremism that have raised alarms about the future of democracy in the United States.
Watchdog and Violation of Individual Privacy
There is also a lot of concern about privacy violations from government surveillance programs in the US. From the NSA’s bulk data collection programs to law enforcement’s overuse of facial recognition technology, many Americans have deep, and growing, concerns that the US government is violating citizens’ right to privacy. Although proponents defend these actions as a necessary evil to our national security, opponents condemn them as an alarming overreach that violates our constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Voting Rights Restrictions
In recent years, numerous states across the country have passed laws that make voting more difficult, especially for marginalized groups. These include voter ID laws, the purging of voter rolls, and limiting early voting and mail-in ballots. Critics say these efforts are part of a concerted plan to diminish voter turnout, especially among Black, Latino, and young voters. The end result of this is a feeling of disenfranchisement among certain segments of the population which further chips away at faith in the democratic process.
Data Till October 2023: Human Rights Positioning of The US
The haircut puts the US alongside countries such as Serbia and the Republic of Congo on the US human rights watchlist. Both countries have long faced accusations of human rights abuses, including political repression, restrictions on freedom of expression and widespread corruption. To grasp the scale of the new US entry on this list it helps to compare US human rights performance to that of these countries.
A Brief Introduction to Serbia and Political Repression
This guide is a short introduction to the Republic of Serbia in Eastern Europe, with a special focus on political repression.
Serbia has been fighting recurring issues of political freedoms, media freedom, and minority group rights. The government has faced accusations of repression against dissenting voices, press inflexibility, and political oppression. Concerns have grown in recent years about the rise of nationalists and the decline of democratic institutions in the country.
Serbia: Serbia has made some progress in aligning itself with European Union standards, but there are consistent concerns regarding the human rights record.
In Other Words: Republic of Congo: A History of Political Repression and Human Rights Violations
The Republic of Congo has a long history of political repression, corruption and human rights abuses. It has been accused of repressing dissenting voices, curtailing freedom of the press and deploying violence against demonstrators. Nonetheless, freedom remained in short supply and the human rights situation in the country remained dire, with the Congolese government receiving minimal international accountability for its actions. The presence of the United States on the watchlist along with Congo underscores the seriousness of the United States’ own human rights issues.
What Does This Portend for the Future of US Democracy?
With the US being added to the human rights watchlist, it serves as a necessary warning that democracy is fragile and without civil liberties, it is nothing. Should these trends continue, the United States might find itself relinquishing its long-standing role as a voice for human rights and democracy around the world.
A Diminished Global Role
You are from human rights and democracy. No explanation needed as US has been the custodian of human rights and democracy for decades. But against the backdrop of its own human rights record drawn into sharper focus, the ability of the country to sway human rights debates around the globe could be sharply limited. Countries long targeted by the US for having poor human rights records could now cite the US’s own difficulties as just that, a justification for refusing to accept criticism from outside.
The Widening Gulf in American Society
Domestically, America’s human rights struggles can deepen the gulf at the heart of its society. Political polarization is tightening its vise; faith in institutions is eroding; alienation seems to deepen for many Americans. This feeling of disenfranchisement may lead to increasing political volatility, increasing the difficulty of finding solutions to the root causes of the country’s human rights challenges.
Conclusion: Time for Reform
Although the US is on the human rights watchlist, it is a wake-up call for Americans. The US must reform itself as a global leader in human rights. In this case, that means fighting systemic racism, defending **fre
