The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 just 3 years after the horror of WWII.
Here you can see the text with the content:
http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html
The preamble of the Declaration is a really nice and wonderful piece of universal politics. And it specifically warns about the lack of respect for the basic human rights and how without them we will commit nothing but barbarities.
It goes immediately to appoint that it is something so essential that in the absence of these rights, the person will feel compelled to use the “last resort” - rebellion as a defensive way against tyranny and oppression.
Then, somehow, the wise men who wrote the Declaration, implicitly define in the preamble the legality of rebellion when a person is inside an oppressive system or a tyranny.
We only need to look around to realize how much tyrannical and oppressive our current understanding of governance has become. More than ever, it is needed to review the Universal Declaration, to remember that the human rights are the values that compose the minimum core of ethics and that they can prevent barbarities such as in WWII from happening, or other barbarities no different from the ones of WWII that we see today in the world.
It is better to prevent these atrocities now while there is time or before it will be needed to recall these Rights after another global disaster happens. It will certainly happen if these rights are not defended anymore.
To make a brief summary of the rights, let us mention some of the most important ones and let us analyze how these things are happening today. We will mostly see the failure of the implementation or development of these rights that were supposed to guide us in preventing the current global tragic events from happening. They are supposed to stop barbarities, to prevent oppression… and consequently implicitly to prevent revolutions as the last resort for men… Even revolutions are evilly manipulated, managed, and falsely created, “dressed” as if they were the last resource while in reality they hide an incoming tyranny or other bad intentions.
- The right to life, liberty, security of person and not being held in slavery and servitude.
This is a good start, isn´t it? It is sad to realize that the right to life can be considered differently according to local laws of some countries. In political interests, this right is simply… forgotten. Mostly, when it comes to liberty and security, these rights are directly stolen by the very entities which are expected to promote and defend them… meaning the governments.
Freedom as a clear and clean concept becomes relativity. Each system of laws and rules defines their own limits of freedom or interpret this concept under their own particular points of view and agendas.
Now security… in the name of global or national security … the right to self-defense is simply forbidden, even punished.
And if freedom is a right, which is not exercised, how can we expect that it is not slavery? Political systems drive the people they govern into servitude. Badly understood and handled even worse, economy drives people directly into slavery. Moreover, in many private companies, servitude is necessary.
In reality, we cannot see any advance in the defense of these rights. On the contrary, we see clear regression, which is going on everywhere. What should we expect?
- The right protecting against torture and cruel treatment or in an inhuman or degrading way.
Another right far from being respected neither globally nor locally in many places of the world. Even those who claim to be the most tolerant and civilized do not respect this right. They use not only tortures and we all know it. They also degrade those who have little resources, or because a person’s race, religion, social conditions, etc. are different.
This violence is so common that we are fed up with seeing abuse on TV. This abuse has become to be considered as a norm.
We are driven to believe that in some places or under some conditions, this is normal and even good. It is no more than an evil point of view to consider abuse and torture as normal under the excuse that this is “something that cannot be changed, because the world is like that, etc.”
For what reason these ideas are spread in the media? Is it to convince people to accept the unacceptable?
Of course, those who suffer from abuse are the most defenseless. These are children, the elderly, women, homeless, and minorities. It is those who have no voice or those whose voices are not broadcast. It is a shame of our times. What should we expect?
- Other rights
Each one of the Articles in the Declaration goes with its own report, but we will not go further. We will simply ask questions about each one.
Are we all really equal before law? Just look for examples around you.
Can everyone see justice in tribunals where they can be listened to and defended?
The right against being arbitrarily arrested… is it being respected or not?
What about the presumption of innocence of people accused of a crime? Is it respected?
What about the arbitrary interference with privacy or communication, when a government suspects everyone of being a potential criminal or terrorist?
Honor is also a right to be protected. Who remembers what honor is when honor is freely attacked on a daily basis and nobody complains about it?
What about freedom of movement and crossing borders? This has become a challenge for people.
The right to seek asylum… yes. But what it has turned into and for what purposes it is used when claimed as a right. What intentions are behind this when movement of people through territories is massive and managed?
What about protection of the family and the consent needed to marry? Watching the news in the media, it sounds like a joke.
The right to have property. It is good until the property is expropriated or stolen.
Freedom of thinking and free opinion in this world of unique thought may be another joke. If you do not believe it, just try to think of or make an opinion about the official versions and standardized ideas.
Respecting the right to work, to free choice, and to fair pay all at once sounds unreal… but we should remember that it is a human right… one which nobody dares to defend but use it as a political weapon.
Well… This is enough. But then what should we expect?
Clearly we as a civilization have two clear options. Get out of the chair and claim in an effective way for the worldwide respect of these rights or just wait when disaster ensues and barbarities start until the “last resort” called rebellion will have to be used. With pain and blood, and bitter tears.
And this will happen, because such ideals move feelings. And ideals never die.
Start with yourself. Get your bottom out of your chair. Claim for your rights… and for the rights of your neighbor. And for the rights of those who are like you. They are walking somewhere in this world although they seem to have nothing in common with you.
By clicking the “like” button in the comfort of your home is… not enough. Just look around. Has anything changed?
The nicest aspects of universal politics should not be discarded and be used as “toilet paper”. They have not been created for this purpose. And we really need them.
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