In this Geopolitical Trends video, the host critiques a recently disclosed secret meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, where leaders from four major human‑rights NGOs—Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Freedom House—were gathered to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Drawing on Jon Schwartz’s Intercept article, the analyst argues the meeting was a publicity stunt that concealed the United States’ double standards, especially its veto of a UN Security Council cease‑fire resolution on the Israel‑Gaza war and its continued support for Israel despite documented atrocities. The video highlights the symbolic irony of holding the gathering in the Thomas Jefferson reception room, noting Jefferson’s history as a slave owner, and stresses that the UDHR, while a historic milestone, lacks legal force. The host calls the U.S. stance hypocritical, urges viewers to question the secrecy, and invites comments, likes, and subscriptions.
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Hello everyone and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. As an analyst, I ask, why is the United States hosting a secret meeting about human rights? Why the hypocrisy? Why the secrecy? If truly the US stands for human rights. In this video, I'm going to share with you my assessment about these developments, which based on an article that's just been released. And place it for you within the context of the US State Department's recent meeting. That's where this secret meeting took place, which aimed at promoting human rights. Oh yeah, how many times we've heard that before. So let's dive in into this fascinating development here. So recently, an article written by journalist Jon Schwartz and published on The Intercept disclosed how the United States hides its— and I put this in quote— "black hole" when it comes down to human rights in the Middle East. Jon Schwartz, by the way, he's an American journalist, has vehemently and rightly criticized the sort of the apparent double standard that is in contradiction when it comes to U.S. being the champion and the sole defender of human rights, especially in the Middle East, as Israel's ongoing devastation war in the Gaza Strip has entered its 68th day. Very interesting developments here. So according to Schwartz, uh, uh, the— this revelation of this information about this secret meeting stems from the leaked info about this meeting that took place, which was last week in the State Department, in which the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted leaders of international human rights organizations as they celebrate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So Mr. Schwartz wrote, and I quote, the State Department arranged for the meeting to record and disseminate Blinken's praise for human rights while the world could not hear the views of human rights defenders who criticized US support for Israel war on Gaza Strip. End of quote. Spot on, spot on. By the way, 4 human rights organizations participated in the meeting. It includes: 1, Amnesty International; 2, Human Rights Watch; 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists; and 4, the US-based Freedom House. Very interesting. Equally important, the journalist, Mr. Schwartz that is, highlights the major distinction on how the article that was posted on The Intercept described the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as, and I put this in quote, "a milestone in history," although, end of quote by the way, although it was merely some sort of a statement of principles and did not have the force of the law per se. This is why we're seeing what we're seeing taking place in the Middle East. Those declarations have no force of the law as it was generally inspiring to be. So it's almost as if sort of it were the basis on which many subsequent treaties and laws were built. But they have no force of the law to be applied. This is where that distinction is. So according— here is what's an interesting fact, which by the way was disclosed in the article, and I will post the link for you to read the whole article in its entirety for yourself, should you choose to do so. So according to the Guinness World Record, Here's an interesting thing. The Declaration has been translated into more than 550 languages, ranging from Apgaz to the Zulu in South Africa, more than any other document, by the way. Very, very interesting. So within this context, it is easy to understand why, according to The Intercept, where the article was published, revealing that the United States Secretary of State told the gathering, and I quote here, that the universality of human rights is severely challenged and violated in too many places. We see, of course, atrocities in the Middle East conflicts. End of quote. Yeah, so I, I found it laughable because this comes on the heels of the US vetoing the resolution at the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli war in Gaza. But Blinken refrained from saying the truth. Double standard, in my opinion. Uh, Mr. Schwartz, the journalist, concluded his article by noting that the secret meeting was held at the State Department headquarters in the reception room of none other than Thomas Jefferson. Well, Thomas Jefferson was the first US Secretary of State and the chief author of the Declaration of Independence. Here is what's interesting. According to Mr. Schwarz, uh, Schwartz, you know, uh, he criticized hosting the meeting— I don't— rightly so, I agree with him on this— hosting the meeting in that room because Jefferson If you know history a little bit, he enslaved about 600 people in his lifetime. He is therefore perhaps the greatest model of America in our history, characterized by rhetoric in an even more bleak reality. End of quote. Very, very interesting. So, so what do you think? Make sure to leave me some comments in the feedback, uh, I always like to read your feedback here. So, but please, if you like the content of this video, hit that like button and don't forget to subscribe. I will greatly appreciate it. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, bye-bye.