Re: Socialism Now (the UN Charters)

["Greg Schofield" <g_schofield@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I do not disagree with W.-Robert Needham on the progressive nature of much of the best that defines the UN.

The UN, despite all things that can be said against it, stands as clarifying institution in many regards. One its primary charter derived from the real aspirations of the millions who suffered from WWII, it still resonants because it represents unfinished business. The other aspect when one considers many of the regimes involved in the UN, is that as improbable as it seems, good sense does seem to flow from such an internationalism and inspite of all its obvious limitations.

I do not believe that we should trail after UN charters, but when they are so much in accord with social needs, it is a great pity they are not used more in the forefront of political struggles, rather than as dusty documents footnoted obscurely. One thing is for certain, we must struggle with what is on hand. The socialist movement casts itself into the role of an international, the UN occupies that capacity (warts and all) in historical reality.

It seems straight-forward that we should treat the UN as the international state in emergance, but it has proved embarrassing to do so to an idealisied conception of interanationalism.

The UN is certainly not the all-round-solution for all the difficult questions as some proponants suppose (that is not what is suggested in the post), nor is it some bouregois accessory  which is ignored until its says something we like or does something we dislike (the defacto position of the movement). The thing is that if the UN did not exist we would be at the forefront of calling for it, the fact that it is not an ideal vehicle is not the issue, that it exists is important, that it needs revamping and reform is important, that its best decisions put most if not all its member states to shame is a contradiction which needs also to be pushed.

If there is to be a workable political platform, then the role of the UN, criticism of its present position and propagation of its best decisions has to be the central hub of real internationalism. I doubt, there is a socialist platform in the world which makes such a conscession to the UN as such, yet its absense points to a deep-seated duplicity in our movement.

Greg Schofield
Perth Australia



--- Message Received ---
From: "W.R. Needham" <rneedham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 11:11:44 -0500
>Subject: [PEN-L:19697] Re: Re: Re: Socialism Now

Greg Scoflield has raised interesting issues. I am more pessimitic than he.

But there are some optimistic predetermined milestones. If one defines a
democratic socialist society as one moving in the direction of equality of
citizenship and equality of human rights then, from the Declaration of
Human Rights in 1948 [http://www.udhr.org/UDHR/default.htm] through to the
various covenants (see below), there seems to have been international
agreement (moral principle and legal status) on the progressive advance of
human rights and to be achieved consistently, that is without backsliding.

But it is notable that the United States, that one-time great leader in the
advance of human rights is now a follower! One illustration serves. The
Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified or acceded to by 191 of
193 nations. There are two hold-outs, Somalia and the United States! [See
Stephen Lewis, The Rise and Fall of Social Justice,
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/ECON/needhdata/Lewisprog.html ]

What the hell goes on in that country? It does not bode well for the
establishment of a full-democracy of human rights and the realization of
Scofield's optimism.

I should quickly note that people who live in glass houses should not throw
stones. Canada's record has not been the most commendable. Indeed, filled
with hypocrisy. [But see the commendable part of Canada's involvement with
the creation of the Declaration
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/ECON/needhdata/humphreyref.html

Neoliberalism and neoconservatism and the likes of Thatcher, Reagan and
Mulroney have been consistent in backsliding on human rights. The
organization "Low Income Familes Together" or LIFT,located in Toronto, had
the temerity in 1998 to write a wonderful report titled The Ontario
People's Report to the United Nations on Violations of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Province of
Ontario. I understand that since then funds for LIFT have been difficult to
obtain. See also: Bruce Porter,  Social Rights and the Question of the
Social Charter. Presentation to the Symposium on the Social Union, Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives, September 18, 1998.
http://www.equalityrights.org/cera/social.htm.

I think Greg Schofield idea can be furthered by the academy if they/we
first reflect and then act on the moral obligation outlined in the premable
to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following various
important whereas statements the preamble includes:

"The General Assembly
proclaims
This Universal Declaration of Human Rights
as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the
end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this
Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to
promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures,
national and international, to secure their universal and effective
recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States
themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction."

and article 30 states:

Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State,
group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act
aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth
herein.

LIFT is clearly acting consistently with the progressive advance of human
rights. The problem, taking LIFT as an illustration, is not with the
people, it is first with the corporate sector and the unthinking
ill-advised governments that support capitalist goverance in the
denigration of democracy and the advance of human rights.

How many university teachers teach human rights? How many economists think
of constraining their models so as to be consistent with the Declaration
and related Covenants? Generally we take the system as given and, sadly, in
doing so human rights are left to the market.

Cheers,

W.-Robert Needham