Racism a foreign policy handicap for the US

Putin’s Black Lives Matter reply is the latest in pushback by others accused by America of human rights abuses

Black Lives Matter supporters and others march across the Brooklyn Bridge to honour George Floyd on the one-year anniversary of his death on May 25, 2021. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

(NYTIMES) Any American who believes that the United States' race problem stops at the water's edge should disabuse themselves of the notion.

Its race problem is also an international problem in that dictators and authoritarian regimes use it as a way to point out American hypocrisy on human rights, as a means of deflecting from their horrible treatment of their own people and as a way to buck American chastisement.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.