Universal Declaration of Human Rights

[a_chatterbox]

What do the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mean?

Article 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness,

Comments

[zedinbed]

I think the Un was a failed experiment from its beginnings. It was an organization managed by the rich and the powerful to protect the rights of the poor and the weak. How can ANYTHING like that work? The UN is a puppet organization that powerful governments follow only when it suits their purpose.

[a_chatterbox]

Any ideas of a better solution?

[quikchange]

Yes: revolution, without any outside interference from well-meaning busybodies that inadvertently ruin everything.

[a_chatterbox]

You're dying from diarrhea due to unsanitary water consumption but will somehow manage to win a fight against people who can kill you without even coming close to you? Sounds feasible... I suppose with enough numbers it could make some sort of statement. So you're saying that the people who don't have water just aren't desparaate enough and that by trying to help them out we're stopping the momentum behind their force because some of them think we'll get somewhere and are waiting to be saved? So really, we should do nothing about our disproportionate wealth except enjoy what's ours because of the struggles of people who came before us because we really can't do anything that would truly be helpful?

[quikchange]

Straw man. I didn't expect you to stoop that low.

I'm saying that I don't see what we can do that will actually help. If you can outline a plan that will help, I'm all ears. But all attempts to date have not worked.

[a_chatterbox]

I'm just disappointed that you don't seem to be interested in trying to come up with ways or reasons to help. People deserve help because they need it.

[quikchange]

I am interested in trying to come up with ways to help people and solve problems. But this particular problem is not one which I can solve on my own and I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to fight corruption, which I suspect is the root cause for the persistence of these problems, but have not yet come up with a good solution. I haven't stopped thinking about it but I do not wish to expend resurces on approaches that I don't believe will work.

So far the most hope has come from Liberia, where the recently elected head of state actually appears to care about hewr people and is trying to fix things. I'm eagerly awaiting the results of her efforts.

[a_chatterbox]

More than that, I'm disappointed that people who do want to help don't seem to have ideas that will really work.

[quikchange]

That's because it is a very difficult problem to solve.

[quikchange]

If you want to help people, try this.

[quikchange]

How about this: a neew organization that requires member states to be liberal democracies with freedom of expression and free markets but gives out loans to member states that have a low quality of life to to implement plans for improving the lives of their people after those plans have been examined and appproved by recognized development foundations with a history of success. Those plans should then be followed closely by the media and the sponsoring foundation with full disclosure at each step of the way to ensure that the money is being well-spent.