The Washington Post headline really says it all: “The U.N. wanted to end sexual violence in war. The Trump Administration had objections.”
BERLIN — When Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynecologist, and Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidiwere awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October for their work to stop the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, there was widespread praise from all parts of the world, including the United States.
But when the Trump administration was asked this month to do its part, and to pass a U.N. resolution to end sexual violence in war, things suddenly looked a bit more complicated.
Until the end, international politicians and celebrities urged the United States to “stand on the right side of history,” as actor George Clooney said, and to “ensure [victims’] voices are at the center of our response,” as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and actress Angelina Jolie wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post.
But to no avail.
The U.N. Security Council finally passed a resolution, but it was significantly watered down, thanks to the Trump Administration’s insistence on deleting key portions. Needless to say, our European allies are furious. (Not that this administration has ever given any evidence of caring what our democratic and civilized allies think. Trump only kowtows to dictators and autocrats.)
So why, you might be asking yourself, would the U.S. government–even with Donald Trump in the Oval Office–object to a resolution against sexual violence as a tool of warfare?
If you think about it for awhile, it will make (sick) sense.
This utterly immoral position is entirely consistent with the misogyny and contempt for women and women’s rights that characterize today’s GOP. The administration objected to references to reproductive and sexual health, references which might be understood as support for abortion.
The initial version of the draft resolution had stated that victims of sexual violence should be able to access services, which specifically included “sexual and reproductive health.” Amid objections, a subsequent version referred only to “comprehensive health services” for victims of sexual violence.
But for the Trump administration, even offering vaguely defined “comprehensive health services” for sexual violence victims went a step too far.
The U.S. position is thus that a woman who has been raped as an act of war and who finds herself pregnant as a result has no right to terminate that pregnancy. Once again, we see that the “religious” doctrine espoused by the President, his Vice-President and his entire party classifies women as incubators, not humans entitled to and capable of self-determination.
Also removed from the final resolution were references to expanded U.N. monitoring that would keep track of violations of the resolution. That, in practice, could mean that perpetrators will have to fear less international scrutiny than originally planned.
To avert a U.S. veto, the passed resolution included only watered-down references to the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is supposed to prosecute war crimes but has recently found itself in a clash with the Trump administration after it considered investigating U.S. troops over the war in Afghanistan. Unlike most of the world, the United States never ratified the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty.
Although there has always been rape in war, the use of sexual violence as a systematic intimidation tool mostly emerged in the 20th century, and has grown alarmingly.
Between 1992 and 1995, Serb troops systematically raped at least 20,000 girls and women, according to the European Commission, which in a 1996 report detailed that “impregnated girls have been forced to bear ‘the enemy’s’ child,” thus exposing them to lifelong psychological scars.
“Sexual violation of women erodes the fabric of a community in a way that few weapons can,” the United Nations’ State of the World’s Children concluded the same year.
By 2008, U.N. member states had acknowledged in a landmark resolution that sexual violence in conflict had “become systematic and widespread, reaching appalling levels of brutality.”
The administration of America’s despicable President–himself a serial abuser and accused rapist–has shamed the country once again.
Having power and control are Trump’s only concern in all areas of his life leading up to his inauguration on January 20, 2017. It doesn’t even matter who or what or where he has the power and control; just so he maintains both. He has controlled the media hourly, seven days a week, 365 days a year since 2015; all areas of social media are infected with his face and his lies. His destructive, inhumane power and control has spread to international levels at the speed of light in ways unimaginable for any world leader but especially for an American president. The fact that he is our president is our greatest shame and humiliation. His heartless and misogynist ignorance and ignoring this country’s democracy, Rule of Law and refusal to live up to his own oath of office to uphold the Constitution has been lost in his constant barrage of ignorant and insulting Tweet usage to run this country and inform the public of his mental instability and ignorance of any area of knowledge regarding America leadership.
“The administration of America’s despicable President–himself a serial abuser and accused rapist–has shamed the country once again.”
It is again another Friday of the Trump administration; what lies ahead down this rabbit hole today?
What JoAnn wrote.
How can a woman ever want to.put her life on the line in uniform to fight for our country under the current administration? One thing for sure, if our country ever came under attack by a ground force, our defense will have to double down on protecting women and girls considered targets of retribution for the position taken by this administration imposing our religious values on others in an otherwise global resolution to protect the lives of defenseless women and girls during war unconditionally.
I am too angry to write, so JoAnn > ditto.
This administration’s attacks against humanity are exhausting.
Maybe it is time to start harassing our R Congressmen and women and VP pence in any way that we can. Nonstop phone calls to their offices, nonstop letters, whatever else anyone can suggest. If we can get a grass roots campaign going that will drive their staffs nuts, then maybe they will be forced to listen to us.
Is this just a Friday pipe dream?
Norris,
I would prefer that you use the word “distortion” or “bastardization” in place of religious “values”
I find no value whatsoever in the distortion and bastardization of Christianity that has taken place among the evangelical extremists in this country.
In George Lakoff’s excellent book, “Don’t Think of an Elephant”, he describes in great detail the so-called “strong father” model that drives the philosophy of so-called conservatives and the Republican party. This model is also God-based, but perverted to the point of absurdity, personified perfectly by Mike Pence. Trump, by comparison, is just a clumsy, deeply disturbed oaf that uses his cudgel of ignorance to abuse everything he touches. The model goes on to explicitly place women at the back of the room in everything society does except reproduce offspring, but only on the male’s terms.
Trump isn’t sophisticated or intelligent enough to actually reason out a position one way or another. This rejection of the U.N. comes from Pence and/or other of his acolytes. Besides, Trump thinks the U.N. has ripped us off for decades and wants no part of anything they do. The monster that 62 million idiots voted for is now slogging his way through the world’s civilization like Frankenstein’s experiment.
When Gerald is too angry to write, you know it’s bad. Yes, JoAnn’s comments are the most salient today.
Despicable!
There is reasonable hope that Trump will fall in 2020. The more critical issue is the Senate. DEMs hopes are waning. There lies the battle for the nation’s soul.
What Vernon said. And JoAnn. And everyone else here today.
Trump is a would be dictator desperate to stay in power by portraying himself as in touch with the people. Certain people. His base only.
He uses the religous right like he uses all people. As objects to be collected.
If his people ever get to be anywhere near a majority, and Fox News and the NRA and religious right pulpits et al are desperately trying to achieve that, the United States as we have known it will be dead.
One of the themes that runs through all of Trump’s decisions is that the crueler it is, the more desirable it is. A man of many illnesses, Trump’s cruelty has metastasized throughout his body and what little there is of his mind so that schadenfreude is his normal state. He will have to struggle not to experience an orgasm when he succeeds in throwing 30 million people off health care. Stigmatizing honest and hard working individuals as “criminals” and “rapists” gives him more joy than having Ivanka sit on his lap. Separating families at the border makes him happier than firing loyal employees or flouting the rule of law. His profound problems cry out for professional help. Enumerating his physical and mental diseases won’t effect a cure, but it will help our understanding of what he is doing to America and of what drives this deeply disturbed man who has miraculously avoided incarceration.
Why am I not surprised. This week I came across 2 news items, one was about a school bus driver raping a 14 year old girl and doesnt have to serve time. Second story of another male 33 years,old gets no jail time for keeping a girl in captivity for a yr in a dog cage and raping her for year. (the news article said forcing her to have sex with him against his will—ummm that’s called rape) He essentially spent no time in jail. A 2 year old being tortured by a man who had previously murdered a child and they are looking into sexual assualt.
The US cant be a moral authority on issue of rape; it would be nice but as a woman reading just this week on the 3 incidences I jist mentioned—we need to clean up our back yard too.
Sorry, feeling a bit raw this week
There was a little nugget buried in the settlement agreement with Stormy Daniels and maybe with Karen McDougal, too, and it related to abortion. As I recall, if one of them aborted the Donald’s child, they weren’t allowed to say anything about the Donald being the father. Logically, doesn’t this show that the Donald is not opposed to abortion? After all, he’s not opposed to copulating with porn stars and Playboy models, and even pays them off.
Then, there’s Melania. The Donald’s “interview” with Billy Bush happened either right before or right after Barron was born. When the cameras are on, she even holds the same tiny hand he uses to grab womens’ genitalia. And they wonder why other women don’t respect her. She doesn’t respect herself. At minimum, she could simply stay in the White House and organize her Manolo Blahniks by color instead of providing cover with pathetic hand-holding. If she had any self–respect, she’d leave. Really, what could he do if she took Barron and left for Slovenia? She is complicit in the misogyny, and that is her legacy.
Which brings us to the Hypocrite-in-Chief, Mikey Pence. He and his ugly wife always proudly stand smiling next to the Donald, an admitted braggart who is proud that he assaults women, and who not only copulates with porn stars and nude models, he pays them off and then lies about it. Why do Evangelicals not find this offensive? Where is their respect for women? That’s what I want to know.
Evangelicals do not find this offensive because their primary interest in women is how to control them; considering how he has manipulated Haley, Conway, Melania,and Sanders he has some skill in that area. Evangelicals are as power-crazed as Trump. That is why they have each other’s backs and both remain non-judgmental regarding the other. If both parties can be raptured in the same space ship – and soon – I will renounce my atheism.
Ditto JoAnn. Could not have said it better!
Natacha,
What I cannot understand is why ANY woman, self-respecting or not, would waste their vote on this monster. I’ve asked many women and the only answer that comes close to making sense is that since Trump is what they want their husbands or boyfriends to be like, that they voted for him. It’s kind of like a goober voting for a Republican in hopes he will get rich. Dumb.
BTW, I think 52% of white women voted for Trump. Amazing.
Vern: I have also wondered why any woman would vote for him. That some women would might be one reason why some men think at least some women are stupid. I think so, too. I don’t understand what characteristics about Trump would appeal to women. If A & E runs the 3-part series on the Trumps, be sure to watch. You will see The Donald’s repulsive egotism, narcissism, racism and misogyny form a bud and then burst into full bloom.