It is an honest book, about the reality for Human Rights.
However, it is boring and the examples are not really tangible
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The Twilight of Human Rights Law Hardcover – Illustrated, Oct. 21 2014
by
Eric A. Posner
(Author)
3.5 on Goodreads
68 ratings
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Countries solemnly intone their commitment to human rights, and they ratify endless international treaties and conventions designed to signal that commitment. At the same time, there has been no marked decrease in human rights violations, even as the language of human rights has become the dominant mode of international moral criticism. Well-known violators like Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan have sat on the U.N. Council on Human Rights. But it's not just the usual suspects that flagrantly disregard the treaties. Brazil pursues extrajudicial killings. South Africa employs violence against protestors. India tolerate child labor and slavery. The United States tortures. In The Twilight of Human Rights Law - the newest addition to Oxford's highly acclaimed Inalienable Rights series edited by Geoffrey Stone - the eminent legal scholar Eric A. Posner argues that purposefully unenforceable human rights treaties are at the heart of the world's failure to address human rights violations. Because countries fundamentally disagree about what the public good requires and how governments should allocate limited resources in order to advance it, they have established a regime that gives them maximum flexibility - paradoxically characterized by a huge number of vague human rights that encompass nearly all human activity, along with weak enforcement machinery that churns out new rights but cannot enforce any of them. Posner looks to the foreign aid model instead, contending that we should judge compliance by comprehensive, concrete metrics like poverty reduction, instead of relying on ambiguous, weak, and easily manipulated checklists of specific rights. With a powerful thesis, a concise overview of the major developments in international human rights law, and discussions of recent international human rights-related controversies, The Twilight of Human Rights Law is an indispensable contribution to this important area of international law from a leading scholar in the field.
- ISBN-10019931344X
- ISBN-13978-0199313440
- EditionIllustrated
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication dateOct. 21 2014
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions21.34 x 14.22 x 2.29 cm
- Print length185 pages
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Review
"The Twilight of Human Rights Law is an important assessment of human rights law, useful for human rights scholars in general, persons interested in European Union law or anyone who desires a current analysis of human rights law." -Yasmin Morais, University of the District of Columbia Law School, DipLawMatic Dialogues
"...Mr. Posner's skepticism is bracing, and his claims usefully force readers back to the question of what we mean when we talk about human rights." -- Wall Street Journal"Posner makes a strong case that human rights law needs to be approached with more care, more humility, and less hubris." - Reason.com
"...Mr. Posner's skepticism is bracing, and his claims usefully force readers back to the question of what we mean when we talk about human rights." -- Wall Street Journal"Posner makes a strong case that human rights law needs to be approached with more care, more humility, and less hubris." - Reason.com
Book Description
A powerful and provocative look at the toothless legal infrastructure that allows nations to neglect international human rights
About the Author
Eric A. Posner teaches at the University of Chicago. He has written nine books and more than one hundred articles on international law, constitutional law, and other topics. He has written opinion pieces for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Republic, Slate, and other popular media. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute.
Product details
- Publisher : Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (Oct. 21 2014)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 185 pages
- ISBN-10 : 019931344X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0199313440
- Item weight : 340 g
- Dimensions : 21.34 x 14.22 x 2.29 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,430,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #164 in International Treaties
- #174 in Human Rights Law
- #884 in International Law (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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4 out of 5
32 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries
Ai xiaReviewed in Spain on December 12, 20161.0 out of 5 stars A mess
Verified PurchaseEven though I agree with the core argument of the book, bring more data analysis in to the study of HR, thought the data brought forward by the author wasn't enough to justify his arguments. Also don't buy thinking it's an introduction to HR, because it's rather poor on that front
Isn the end, Book is constrained by its length which makes the author enter into several contradictions.
Catherine MaclayReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 20183.0 out of 5 stars An argument lacking real context
Verified PurchaseThis is a thoroughly researched, easy-to-read historical account of the rise of the international institutional framework of human rights. While the author makes valid points about the underperformance and deficiencies of the international development economics paradigm alongside human rights, these failures have not eradicated the very real need of real people to have real-world, effective human rights available to them for the protection of their Freedom(s) in their everyday lives. Women and children still need justiciable and enforceable rights in hostile environments to protect their human dignity and well-being. Very diverse modern societies still need to offer a voice and a common language to people and to groups competing for limited resources in a fast-changing world. The book has valid points indeed, but it would benefit greatly from looking at the human rights argument in the context of Freedom to make the topic and the author's valuable knowledge and experience more accessible and relevant to a wider audience.
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RoyReviewed in France on January 4, 20154.0 out of 5 stars pas mal du tout
Verified PurchaseLes droits de l'homme, on en parle beaucoup et on les pratique rarement. L'ouvrage tente d'expliquer pourquoi et déconstruit toute la mécanique des traités internationaux. C'est parfois triste mais souvent pertinent et il est difficile de ne pas considérer que l'auteur est brillant! A quand l'introduction de telles analyses dans les cours de droit "classiques"?








