On Thu, 15 Aug 1996, SHAWGI TELL wrote: > > The struggle for the affirmation of human rights is a main feature of > the people's struggles worldwide. This question of rights arises in the > context of society. Human beings are born to society and depend on society > for their existence. What then, is the responsibility, or the purpose, of > society? It is our view that a modern perspective recognizes that the role > of society is to guarantee the rights of all members of society on the basis > that they are human beings and that governments are duty-bound to place > these claims on society in the first place. > Human beings, as members of society, have rights simply because they are > human beings. These rights are inalienable and inviolable because they > belong to people as human beings. They cannot be given or taken away, any > more than the reality that a human being is a human being can be given or > taken away--it exists as an objective reality, independent of laws or > government actions to the contrary. Human beings hold the quality of being > human in common and are born to society. For this reason, they have claims > on society--human rights--that society must guarantee, if it is to meet the > needs of all. > Among the most elementary human rights are the rights to food, clothing > and shelter. Without these, a person cannot affirm his or her human > quality--which is to think, work and contribute to their own lives, those of > their children and society as a whole. How can the human personality blossom > and society advance if the most elementary conditions of existence are not > met? Daily life readily shows that the increasing conditions of poverty and > want for millions makes it impossible for human beings, and human society, > to reach their highest potential. > The right to education and health care are also elementary human rights. > These are not privileges, which can be cut back or denied altogether. The > same is true of culture. For individuals and society to flourish, culture > cannot be under the domination of the rich. Culture is a prerequisite for > the human personality to flower, the very context in which this blossoming > takes place. Without culture there really can be no talk of human life. > For human beings and society to flourish, society must recognize that > human beings have rights because they are human. Society must be organized > so that human rights are guaranteed to all members of society, based on the > fact that they are human beings, and not any other criteria, such as wealth, > nationality, sex, color of skin, ability, lifestyle, etc. > > Society of Privilege Is a Society of Inequality > It is often said that the US is #1 when it comes to defending human > rights. But are human rights guaranteed to all members of society? Reality > shows that American society does not guarantee rights and, in fact, is > organized on the basis of privileges belonging to the few. The notion > promoted and acted on in US society is that some human beings in positions > of economic and political power have the right, because of their positions, > to define rights while everyone else must submit to their definition. Rights > are defined as privileges, to be given and taken away by those in power. > Hence the human right to a livelihood, education and health care is denied > while the privilege of those in power to go on reaping profits is guaranteed. > How can a society achieve equality if the starting point is one of > privileges and not guaranteed rights? If rights are defined as privileges, > this presupposes that there are some in a position of privilege--which makes > inequality a given. Rights will be defined not to insure the well-being of > all but to preserve the privileges of the ruling class. > > > Shawgi Tell > University at Buffalo > Graduate School of Education > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Mr. Tell, I read your posting on human rights with great interest. However, I also remember another recent posting from you in which you had praised Lenin and Stalin-an opinion that you are certaily entitled to. However, don't you see any contradiction there? Is it possible to deny, in the most brutal way, human rights to some people in the name of protecting their human rights? Pleas enlighten me. > A. S. Fatemi Professor and Chairman Department of Economics The American University of Paris 31 ave Bosquet 75007 Paris Tel: (33) 1 40 62 06 40 Fax: (33) 1 47 05 33 49
