Posted by
Robert J. Cordingley on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Sources-of-Innovation-tp4566136p4576037.html
I think you argue *for* the UDHR! It is not a statement of 'what is'
but 'what should be'. It provides a common ground of understanding and
says quit arguing, this is it, this is where we need to be. It can form
a basis for common law if you don't have one in your emerging country,
state, etc. On privilege: is it a right to not be a slave or is it a
privilege? Whether it touches real issues or not is a measure of the
quality of our education and maturity and how many good people remain
silent.
Thanks,
Robert
On 2/15/10 10:25 AM, glen e. p. ropella wrote:
> Thus spake Roger Critchlow circa 02/15/2010 09:04 AM:
>
>> I think Glen was just working up a Presidents Day troll. The day we
>> celebrate the births of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln is the
>> perfect day to appear to deny that "rights" exist.
>>
> Heh, I wish! I'm not smart enough to pull that kind of irony out of my
> hat. ;-) I really do think that "human rights" are a desire, not a reality.
>
> The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a perfect example of
> useless "deep, thoughty intricate, theoretical symposia that never touch
> the real issue" if I've ever seen it! [grin] What a bunch of
> ideological hooha!
>
> Of course, anyone lucky enough to find a way to exploit that hooha to
> her own benefit gets my full support. To those unlucky enough to live
> in an inner city or on the Gaza strip... well, too bad, so sad, we don't
> have enough money to enforce those ideological principles _everywhere_,
> now do we? We'll only help you if your rich enough, funny enough, can
> sing well enough, sane enough, intelligent enough, etc. ... or perhaps
> if you're well connected. [grin] Otherwise, you're out of luck.
>
> Am I jesting? Sort of. Really, I'm trying to point out that rights are
> granted and definitely not inalienable. These rights are totally alien
> to the slaves and impoverished all over the earth including right here
> in Oregon and probably there in New Mexico. They are definitely
> alienable. In fact, they're not "rights" at all. They are privileges
> and ARE taken away from lots of people on a regular basis.
>
> The only way out of that quandary is to see them for what they are,
> privileges, and make an ethical commitment to find ways for everyone to
> be so privileged (i.e. raise the standard of living of everyone on the
> planet). Calling them "rights" and acting all indignant when someone
> brings up evidence of humans abusing humans doesn't really help. It
> just starts silly arguments about what is and isn't a "right".
>
> Health care is a privilege, one that I provide as base compensation to
> all my employees and wish I could give away to everyone on the planet.
> But I can't. However, if I could find a way to pay for it, I would.
> Similarly life and liberty are privileges. And if I could find a way to
> pay for them for every human on the planet, I would. After we've
> successfully raised everyone's standard of living THEN and only then can
> we call these things "rights". At the moment, those privileges can be
> taken away by one's parents, the guy who gets you across the border, the
> guy in the dark alley whose already stabbed and robbed 5 people this
> year, the bull dozer tearing down your house to make room for the houses
> of the rich people, etc.
>
> I'm not denying that these things should be rights. I'm denying that
> they _are_ rights. And no amount of "declaring" or pompous, indignant,
> stamping about shouting about "what should be" will change that.
>
> Perhaps realizing that is a good way to celebrate _some_ of our past
> Presidents?
>
>
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