"Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk"

I find all this talk about human rights in the context of doing business between countries very hypocritical. The North and the West invariably assume the holier-than-thou position with regard to the South and the East, the conventional wisdom being that the former is morally superior to the latter, and that this gives them the right to lecture the "sinners" and lead them on the path to righteousness.

But, on very close inspection, which countries would really pass a strict test on its human rights record? Are there any countries who treat its minorities -- cultural, ethnic, racial or religious -- fairly and squarely? Is there no discrimination whatsoever? Surely not. Then, why should a country that has its own issues in the human rights field feel entitled to dictate terms to another in this regard?

This is not to say that human rights issues should not be discussed as part of international relations. But, a country should be really sure about its own situation before attempting to give lessons to another, much less imposing sanctions on it and calling for others to do so. The best lesson in this regard would be to be able to point to its situation as an absolute example. Nothing else will suffice.