Campaign «For Human Rights» in the USSR in 1970–1980 as an Instrument of United States Policy

Abstract

The topic of this work is devoted to the using of the United States, in particular, by the administration of President Jimmy Carter, human rights activities as an instrument of political pressure on the USSR in the 1970–80s. The main attention of politicians on both sides was focused on the «Jewish question» in the USSR, the right of the Jewish population of the Soviet Union to leave it and choose their country of residence. American politicians sought to undermine the political regime in the USSR through the issue of human rights in general, and the rights of Jews in particular. The Soviet authorities, despite the fact that they opened the «iron curtain» for the emigration of Jews and dissidents in line with the policy of «détente», especially after the Helsinki Accords of 1975, sought to limit the emigration of Jews in order not to lose their own educated citizens, and also not to strengthen Israel against friendly Arab countries. In this regard, a «law on diplomas» was introduced, which provided for the payment of compensation to the state by emigrating persons for higher education. This law was one of the stumbling blocks in the issue of human rights in the USSR, which was used by the US as a pretext for sanctions and restrictions against the USSR. This policy of manipulating human rights against geopolitical opponents was used by American politicians in the future, right up to modern times.