PHM-Exch> Food for a very disquieting thought

[Claudio Schuftan]

Human Rights Reader 274

 *DO WE DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS OR DO WE DEFEND OURSELVES FROM THEM? *

P. T. Delgado Palacios

This is not my text. The original is in Spanish. I have to confess though
that, although in a small part fallacious, it raises some uncomfortable and
disturbing questions for which I only may have some answers. At  the risk of
being accused of courting controversy I share this with you.



The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 assumes humankind agrees
with the institutions of a bourgeois society. According to the Declaration
we are entitled to protection under the law (Art.7). Of what law?  Laws made
by whom? Aren’t the owners of power and of money the ones who make the laws
according to what is convenient for them? So, do those who question the law
attempt against human rights?

  The Declaration also says that every person has the right to property
(Art.17). How necessary was it to insert that Article to protect the
patrimony of those who already had amassed a fortune? So, do those who
attempt to take something away from the latter attempt against human rights?

You can read the full Reader in

http://wp.me/plAxa-1vF

Claudio
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