Rep. Thomas Massie’s explanation for being lone ‘no’ vote on bill condemning China for persecuting Uighurs is ‘moral relativism at its worst’

The bill would also enable Global Magnitsky Act sanctions on Chinese officials deemed responsible for the concentration camps and require the State Department to assemble a report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) December 4, 2019

Y’all, someone got in a vote at the very last second. FINAL VOTE was 407-1.

— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) December 4, 2019

Who would vote against something like this? Well, that honor goes to … GOP Rep. (and proud alleged libertarian) Thomas Massie:

The lone no vote was Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.

— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) December 4, 2019

But don’t worry — he had a very good reason for voting no:

I voted no tonight on the UIGHUR Act (sanctions against China) for the same reason I voted no in the Hong Kong bill two weeks ago:

When our government meddles in the internal affairs of foreign countries, it invites those governments to meddle in our affairs.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2019

Reasonable people can come to different conclusions on this vote but,

Before expressing righteous indignation re: my vote against these sanctions, please consider whether you committed enough to the issue that you would personally go a week without buying something made in China

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2019

So it’s not just Democrats who can be stunning and brave, then.

If we meddle in their concentration camps then what's stopping them from meddling in OUR concentration camps, ha? Checkmate, Neocons. https://t.co/BnJ60pKzmv

— NeoN: Automataster (@neontaster) December 4, 2019

Do we currently have Muslim re-education camps??
Seems like an odd defense.

— Jim (@Kinmanjr) December 4, 2019

Saying that people deserve basic human rights is not "meddling".

— Alex Zelinski (@A_Zelinski) December 4, 2019

I agree with you on many things, but I don't see how a statements and actions in support of human rights and free speech are examples of "meddling".

— Patrick McGuinness (@patmcguinness) December 4, 2019

”Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Universal values like human rights are not internal affairs.

Your "no" vote did nth to help the poor Uyghurs in the concentration camp.

— Michelle Poon? (@ahhseihakgang) December 4, 2019

These aren't internal affairs – these are human beings being put in camps because of their beliefs.

If you can't stand up for this, what can you stand up for?

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) December 4, 2019

"Meddling in the internal affairs" of a country is certainly one way to describe condemning a campaign of mass detentions, executions, rapes, and sterilizations against more than a million people based solely on their ethnicity and religion. https://t.co/kiTVgG6zxD

— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) December 4, 2019

Thomas Massie is straight-up repeating Chinese talking points here. pic.twitter.com/UZBgNXe8hN

— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) December 4, 2019

They are the talking points of almost every oppressive and abusive regime because more than anything else, evil relies on good people to stay silent. https://t.co/IWzDVJHRAm

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) December 4, 2019

Have you experienced a recent head injury or has your brain always functioned this poorly?

Taking principled stands on human rights isn’t meddling and it’s pure idiocy to compare our shortcomings to oppressive regimes operating camps for religious minorities.

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) December 4, 2019

"We can't condemn putting religious minorities in camps because then someone might condemn us for something" is not the brilliant take that Massie's defenders seem to think it is.

Using this logic, we cannot condemn anyone for anything. Moral relativism at its worst. https://t.co/TnuXSlQKjO

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) December 4, 2019

"Will you vote to condemn Nazi Germany?"

"No, I don't want to meddle. Otherwise the Nazis might pass a resolution condemning the gender wage gap in American sports."

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) December 4, 2019

When you say that reasonable people can come to different conclusions about putting people in death camps, you are giving your game away.

There isn't any reasonable conclusion to be made here, other than that China is committing genocide while you stand there and stammer. https://t.co/GTtymQ6mM9

— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) December 4, 2019

Libertarianism means looking the other way at mass deprivations of liberty

— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) December 4, 2019

If refusing to condemn systematic human rights abuses is big-L Libertarianism, we’re gonna take a hard pass.