Trump's "Natural Law" Commission Ready To Launch

[Soph0571]

Politico reports:

The Trump administration plans to officially launch a new panel on human rights as early as Monday — one already under scrutiny from Democrats who fear its stated focus on “natural law and natural rights” could undercut protections for women and LGBTQ people around the world.

State Department officials are briefing officials in Washington this week on the unveiling of the “Commission on Unalienable Rights,” a body with as many as 15 appointees who will offer advice on human rights policy to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The panel was conceived with almost no input from the State Department’s human rights bureau, people familiar with the matter say, effectively sidelining career government experts who have focused on human rights policy and have history across numerous administrations.

[link:https://www.joemygod.com/2019/07/trumps-natural-law-commission-ready-to-launch/|

These fuckers really need to get the memo...

[rurallib]

1. Was reading about this on Politico yesterday

and was somewhat confused by their story.
Apparently another attempt to imitate real group sounding name but with a mission of opposing real rights or values - like the ACLU's bizzaro cousin the ACLJ.

All I could think was that if it is Republicans, it will not be good for humans.

[blaze]

2. code talk for anti abortion and anti LGBT bullshit nt

[Sinistrous]

3. During his confirmation hearing,Clarence Thomas

stated that he would adhere to “Natural Law” in making his decisions. I remember that when he was asked how he defined natural law, Mr. Thomas was unable to give a coherent answer.

[Tanuki]

4. Homophobia in a cheap suit

https://newrepublic.com/article/154204/man-behind-state-departments-new-natural-law-focus

....."According to this theory, God established a rational order to the universe, and the rules he has set are thereby ‘laws’ for all rational beings. Aiming at the natural goods for one’s species is thus commanded by God,” University of Wyoming political theory professor Brent Pickett told me.

But today, Pickett said, natural law theory is mostly used to justify differential treatment of LGBTQ people. In a 2004 critique, Pickett explained that, since the natural law view of sexuality holds that “sex must be related to a human ‘good’—in this case, the possibility of procreation—in order to be just,” its proponents commonly defend anti-LGBTQ policies from anti-sodomy laws to legal discrimination as grounded in human reason, rather than faith. The same rationales, he adds, are used to argue against contraception.

As a legal strategy, it’s a better bet than citing scripture. “It’s a way to achieve the same goals of religious conservatives without making clear that that’s what’s going on,” said Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow at People for the American Way.

If that seems like unusual subtlety for the Trump administration, you can thank Princeton professor Robert George, who, according to an ABC News source, wrote the concept note for the new commission and is slated to be among its 15 inaugural members."....(more)

[rampartc]

5. "natural law" is a concept from the enlightenment

hobbes and locke, among others were influential on the "founding fathers so this business of "natural rights," like "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" spring directly from god and thus, require no recognition or protection from the government.

I don't really get it, as I believe rights are earned, and fought for by combining with others into governments to mutually defend the rights of all.

this commission will result in no good, and is probably convened in order to oppress those less favored by the divine endower of rights.

hint : conservatives are not crazy about the bill of rights (except maybe 2nd amendment) and they absolutely abhor the un declaration of human rights.

[struggle4progress]

6. "We're not sure vivisecting a journalist in an embassy is really a human rights issue"

[Hortensis]

7. This is the religious right's muscle bunching

for new directions of attacks. They’ve infiltrated not just Trump’s administration but the republican congressional caucuses and the state governments in the majority of states. And of course the judiciary at all levels.

[RKP5637]

8. As the US becomes a sewer, more and more a hateful pitiful place to live. n/t

[Hortensis]

10. I don't agree with your description.

At all. We’re still the nation who elected Obama twice, who created the Bill of Rights, who fight for equality for all people against unrelenting opposition from a minority that’s currently manage to become dominant.

Only those who vote count. There are more of us, but they vote more religiously. Every election.

For those who have not just as determinedly, it’s not that they are in a “sewer” and therefore helpless and innocent, it’s that they didn’t stand up to be and to protect what’s good and right.

That’s what happened in 2016. Not that the nation was a sewer, but that some we needed to be strong and good behaved as if they were part of one.

[RKP5637]

11. Agree, excellent post! n/t

[BlueIdaho]

9. Any number of oppressive actions can take place under this shit.

Let’s start measuring heads and ginning up biased IQ tests again. How about guessing the number of bubbles in a bar of soap? Yup, any number of fake stereotypes based on skin color, sexual preference, and gender can be promoted on our sagging democracy by these conservative SOBs.