Andria. In real life, very few people in any culture are willing to extend the protection of individuals' rights beyond their own national borders. As a general statement, the concept of human-rights is in conflict with patriotism. When our governments send troops to intervene in some foreign place, whom do we favour in our prayers or hopes - OUR soldiers or their foreign victims? Our boys aren't defending our lives, of course, but their actions may be protecting our jobs, indirectly. I'm afraid our respect or disrespect for invaders, bombers or torturers generally depends on whether they are our compatriots or not.
I WOULD PUT A NEW PARAGRAPH HERE IF I KNEW HOW! Our political representatives happily sign international treaties banning torture, slavery, and atrocities of all kinds with (figuratively) their fingers crossed. Even individuals who have argued passionately for human rights tend to stumble at the hurdle of patriotism or tribal loyalty. That's terribly sad, isn't it?