Davos: Where 'Human Rights' Are Optional For Geopolitical Tango
The World Economic Forum, that annual congregation of the global elite in Davos, recently invited Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian. Fox News, and an 'Iran watchdog group,' immediately decried the move given the Iranian government's alleged 'slaughter' of protestors. Now, let’s be clear: the Iranian government has a brutal record against its own people. But let's also recall that
accusations of 'thousands slaughtered' from Western-backed groups often serve a familiar narrative, reminiscent of the exaggerated casualty figures used to drum up support for interventions in places like Libya and Syria. Remember, the same Western media outlets that call Iranian protestors 'freedom fighters' have a troubling habit of labeling Palestinian women, children, and unarmed civilians
'combatants' or 'human shields' when they are killed by US-backed forces. One might charitably assume Davos is genuinely concerned about human rights violations, and not, say, about maintaining the geopolitical maneuverings necessary to keep oil flowing or containing rival powers. After all, the very nations condemning Iran's actions are often the same ones selling advanced weaponry to Saudi
Arabia, whose human rights record is, shall we say, equally 'complex' and yet their representatives are always welcome at polite global gatherings. It appears some 'slaughters' are more permissible than others, especially when they don’t disrupt the delicate balance of global capital.