Ob 1: Inherency
US opposes the massive human rights violations in Syria during the Arab Spring
VOA 11 (Voice of America, a dynamic international multimedia broadcaster. VOA provides news, information, and cultural programming through the Internet, mobile and social media, radio, and television. VOA is funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors, “US Condemns Killing of Syrian Rights Activists,” September 16, 2011, http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/middle-east/US-Condemns-Killing-Of-Syrian-Rights-Activist--129990753.html)
The United States condemns …… upon the democratic transformation they demand."
Current sanctions only have marginal success—stronger stance is necessary
LA Times 11(Los Angeles Times, article written by Ellen Knickmeyer, “Syrian opposition hopes for coup as sanctions, protests grind on,” September 5, 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/05/world/la-fg-syria-protests-sanctions-20110905)
Some of Syria's merchants ……citing the U.S. sanctions.
Plan: The United States Federal Government should shun Syria by imposing sanctions and ending diplomatic relations.
Ob 2: Human Rights
The situation in Syria constitutes a crime against humanity
HRW 11(Human Rights Watch, “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror”: Crimes against Humanity by Syrian Security Force shttp://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_998.pdf)
Since the beginning of anti-government protests… information blockade imposed by the Syrian government.
Security forces use extreme measures to silence opposition; killing thousands and scaring others into fleeing for their lives.
Pillay and Ki-moon 6/14 [Navanethem Pillay, UN high commissioner on human rights, Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general, “Preliminary report of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic” Human Rights Council]
OHCHR has received numerous reports …..they will no longer engage in demonstrations.
The U.S. needs to bluntly demonstrate its support to the Syrian people
McGuire 7/18/11 ( Mary, Freedom House, “U.S. Needs To Be Clear: Assad Must Go”,http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=70&release=1463, July 18, 07/29/11)GG
The latest killings bring the total of those slain …the regime to move aside,” continued Dunne.
Human rights violations will continue everywhere—need to act now
Rosenberg 11 (David, writer for the Jerusalem Post, “Arab Spring fails yet to deliver on human rights,” September 1, 2011, http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=236354)
Arbitrary arrests, torture and other human rights violations are ….spokesman for the OHCHR said on Tuesday.
Evil caused by human rights violations must be rejected in every instance – compromise to attain political ends cannot be tolerated
Gordon & Gordon, 95 (Haim & Rivca, Department of Education, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel, Sartre & Evil: Guidelines for a Struggle, Questia)
Put differently, this book is also about us….be a topic of analysis and discussion among scholars and philosophers.
Rhetorical support for human rights has real consequences
Ignatieff,1
(Michael, Professor, Kennedy School at Harvard, Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry, p. 11-2, Google Books)
But the catastrophe of European war and genocide gave impetus …..human rights abuses now have real consequences.
Only a firm commitment to human rights can avoid extinction and dehumanization
Copelon 98
(Rhonda, Professor of Law and Director of the International Women's Human Rights Law Clinic at the City University of New York School of Law, New York City Law Review, /99, 3 N.Y. City L. Rev. 59)
The indivisible human rights framework …. bear on both domestic and foreign policy.
Ob 3: Democracy in Syria
Assad’s power is weakening
World Tribune 11 (American newspaper that focuses on international news, “Opposition: Assad regime can't pay military; Coup possible,” September 20, 2011, http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2011/me_syria1177_09_20.asp)
The Syrian opposition has determined that President Bashar Assad …..the peaceful revolution of the Syrian people must continue."
Promoting human rights encourages the public to rebel against Assad
Haas 7/7/11
(Lawrence J., Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, “After the Arab Spring: The Future of U.S. Human Rights Promotion”, http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/stories.asp?pageid=49&id=2322
Totalitarianism and democracy are contagious…there really was a difference between East and West.
Protests weaken Assad’s regime—plan fuels current protests
Oudat 7/21[Bassel, correspondent for Adnkronos International, “Overthrow not reform” Al-Ahram weekly, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1057/re1.htm]
"After the deaths of nearly 2,000 martyrs and with tens of thousands of people arrested….co-exist with its own people or the international community," Al-Bona said.
Plan mobilizes protesters which will weaken Assad
Majed 11 (Ziad, Lebanon and Syria researcher and assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the American University of Paris. He is also coordinator of the Arab Network for the Study of Democracy and writes regularly in the Arabic and French press, interview conducted by democracynow.org, August 2, 2011, http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/2/as_ramadan_begins_assad_regime_intensifies)
From the international community side….fighting, of course, peacefully [inaudible].
Plan pushes military to backlash against Assad
The Jordan Times 11 (The Jordan Times is an English daily newspaper in Amman, Jordan, article written by Lachlan Carmichael, “Syria’s army is loyal but not fail-safe,” May 30, 2011, http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=37983)
The Assad family’s decades-long rule in Syria has been built partly on a loyal and stalwart army
….between the army and the elite divisions run by Maher Assad.
Human rights credibility leads to democracy promotion
Mutua, 2002( Makau, Professor of Law LL.B., University of Dar-es-Salaam, Human Rights a Political and Cultural Critique, p. 7-8)
The approach in this book views the human rights text and its discourse ….they must reject it and seek a truly universal platform.
Removal of Assad leads to a democratic state
Oudat 7/21[Bassel, correspondent for Adnkronos International, “Overthrow not reform” Al-Ahram weekly, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1057/re1.htm]
"After all the blood that has been spilled on the streets…. that has been keeping it alive has been the security apparatus."
Oppressive leaders need to be shunned for their atrocities. Compliance makes things worse—empirics prove
Rotberg ’00 (Title: Africa's Mess, Mugabe's Mayhem., By:, Robert I., Foreign Affairs, 00157120, Sep/Oct2000, Vol. 79, Issue 5)
The forgiving attitude of the international community also contributed to Mugabe's ….The old ways have hardly worked.
Lack of human rights causes war and leads to genocide
Shattuck 94 (John, former US Assistant Secretary of State 9-12-1994, Federal News Service, nexis)
On the disintegration side, we are witnessing ugly and violent racial, ethnic and religious class …..Chernobyl and the ecological nightmares of Eastern Europe.
Ob 4: Solvency
We have a moral obligation to shun those who disrupt moral order
Beverslius 89 (Eric H., Professor at Western Michigan University with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and M.A. in Economics, “On Shunning Undesirable Regimes: Ethics and Economic Sanctions,” Public Affairs Quarterly 3:2, April 1989, http://www.ericsinfotech.com/ShunningUndesirableRegimes.pdf)
We find the answer when we note that there is another “level” of moral duties….And this is where shunning fits in.
Shunning despotic regimes through economic sanctions is necessary to uphold the moral order.
Beverslius 89 (Eric H., Professor at Western Michigan University with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and M.A. in Economics, “On Shunning Undesirable Regimes: Ethics and Economic Sanctions,” Public Affairs Quarterly 3:2, April 1989, http://www.ericsinfotech.com/ShunningUndesirableRegimes.pdf)
Certain types of behavior constitute a direct attack on the moral order… of “purifying the community” after it has been made “unclean,” as ancient communities might have put it.
US key to promoting human rights
Brown, 2000(Seyom, Politics Professor at Brandeis, Human Rights in World Politics, pg. 149)
This is not to say that the United States ……policies of many countries.
US must send a clear message denouncing Assad’s regime
FPI 11(Non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, “FPI Fact Sheet: Five Steps to Hasten Assad’s Exit”, Foreign Policy Initiative, July 14, p. 1-2, http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/files/uploads/images/Factsheet%20-%20Syria%207-14.pdf)
The United States should leave no doubt that it sides with the Syrian ….Strong, direct and repeated calls by the United States for Assad to immediately step down would dispel any such ambiguity.
US must take leading role to get others to follow
FPI 11(Non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, “FPI Fact Sheet: Five Steps to Hasten Assad’s Exit”, Foreign Policy Initiative, July 14, p. 2, http://www.foreignpolicyi.org/files/uploads/images/Factsheet%20-%20Syria%207-14.pdf)
Third, the Obama administration should redouble efforts…..The position of the superpower, after all, matters.”
US leadership is key to solvency and prevention of threats
Guardiano, ’11 [John R, writer and analyst who focuses on political, military, and public-policy issues, “A Failure to Promote Democracy is Not a Failure of Democracy Promotion”, 2-2, http://spectator.org/blog/2011/02/02/a-failure-to-promote-democracy#]
James Antle laments that our "recent track record for democracy promotion ….in Egypt is an important and integral part of our preemption efforts.
US government has the power and means to pressure states who abuse human rights to change their practices
Filice – 1990 (Carlo, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York, Geneseo, Human Rights Quarterly, August, Vol. 12, No. 3. pp. 397-414, “On the Obligation to Keep Informed about Distant Atrocities,” JStor)
Objection VI: But even more people will drown if we rock the international boat….. particularly since the Soviet threat has significantly diminished.
US leadership needed to prevent war, spread democracy and peace, protect human rights, and encourage economic cooperation and growth.
Thayer 6 Associate Prof, Department of Defense & Strategic Studies at Missouri State University
[Bradley, In Defense of Primacy, The National Interest, December (lexis)November 10, 2006 http://nationalinterest.org/article/in-defense-of-primacy-1300, accessed June 29. 2011
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, peace and stability have been great benefits of an ….Economic spin-offs foster the development of military technology, helping to ensure military prowess.
