Chicago Indymedia : http://chicago.indymedia.org/archive
Chicago Indymedia

Commentary :: Civil & Human Rights

Do People have Rights?

Human Rights are not possible in an Empire!
2006: The Only Important Question!
Do Humans have any unalienable Rights?

Emperors don’t think that people have any rights; people are simply their subjects. Human Rights cannot exist in an Empire. If we want Human Rights then we must have Representative Government which is sometimes called democracy.

The American Revolution was the first formal attempt to establish a government based on the belief that humans do have rights. America was the first country to form a government based on this idea. In this system, the power of our leaders is based on the consent of the governed. As we can see in our Declaration of Independence; “we hold these rights to be self evident, that all men are created equal; that to ensure these rights, governments are created, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed”.

Societies and their governments are based on mutually shared ideas. If we as a society believe that people do have rights then we establish social norms or a code of conduct. If people cheat then the system will not work. An example of a code of conduct would be truth and justice. In other words, people must agree to act honorably for the common good. At this point they may set up a government to formalize their goals.

There are only two forms of government:
• Government run by an elite few with the goal of central control.
Dictatorship; Empire.
• Government which derives it’s just power from the consent of the people.
Republic; Democracy designed to protect human rights.

If I may be repetitive, Empire is the opposite of Democracy; they are mutually exclusive ideas. Understanding this is the key to our future. Empire is based on “might makes right” and is devoid of any other moral code. Democracy was devised to protect our human rights and must be based on respect for others. There is a choice to be made here. We cannot have both Empire and Democracy because they are opposites.

It is important to recognize the key features of Empire and the key features of Democracy if we hope to be able to preserve human rights. As the idea of Empire gets stronger; the idea of democracy is weakened. Central control is the key feature of Empire therefore in a Democracy the trend should be decentralization. When the leaders of a government work toward central control then you can correctly conclude that they no longer respect human rights.

Human Rights are the result of mutual respect. Unless we respect the rights of all others then we forfeit our own rights. We cannot take rights; we give respect and then others respect our rights. In a system of mutual respect, my right to life (to exist) is subject to my tendency to respect the right of others to exist.

What are we fighting for?

All of these years, we have been told that we are fighting and sacrificing for Freedom and Democracy. In reality, we have been tricked into fighting and sacrificing to create a Global Empire. It is clear that our leaders do not believe in Freedom or Democracy or then they would negotiate solutions; not fight to dominate. Only negotiated solutions can lead to peace. All topics must be on the table. Making a topic taboo will undermine Human Rights and any chance of true peace. Negotiation is essential among nation states which respect one another’s right to exist.

You will know them by their actions!

Globalization (central control) is another way to say global Empire. May I repeat that in an empire there are no human rights? It is impossible to have central control and freedom because if you are controlled then you are not free. Therefore any leader who supports globalization has already abandoned the ideas of democracy (decentralized control) and human rights (freedom). Any U.S. leader who supports globalization has violated their oath to defend the constitution.

This issue has even begun to bring people from all extremes of the political spectrum together with a common agenda. At one point a liberal group and a conservative group joined forces to protest the Patriot Act. This is happening because neither political party any longer represents the interests of the people (the preservation of human rights). The divisions among the people have been cultivated and need to be overcome. We should be able to work together on this issue of human rights.

If we want to preserve human rights then there must also be Representative Government at the global level. The idea of sovereign nation states is essential in order to prevent a global dictatorship. To the extent that the United Nations can act as a government; it must seek justice and avoid authoritarian tendencies. The U.N. must be the champion of democracy (decentralized control) and resist any tendency toward empire building.

I believe that only if all people and all nations behave in such a way to respect each others rights, can the American Ideal (of freedom and justice for all) become a reality. Only then will America once again become a symbol of hope for the rest of the world. Only then will we have a world where we look forward to each new day with optimism and joy.

Please share these ideas now. Forward this to your friends and affiliates. Only if we share these ideas will we be able to replace barbarian warriors with civilized statesmen.

Tony Kampner
Holistic Government
 
 

Donate

Views

Account Login

Media Centers

 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software