Re: MD human rights and dignity

hello there,

human rights are what the 4th level is about. we formalise this intuitive knowledge with reason. that which needlessly transgresses human rights is irrational.

i want to talk now about platt's 'live and let live' credo and some things that have been happening lately.

my sister has spent the last week in the australian desert protesting at the mandatory imprisonment of refugees that come to australia 'illegally' (unfortunately it is pretty difficult to get here 'legally' from afghanistan). she and about 1000 others had planned a peaceful vigil: a gesture of solidarity and good will towrads the refugees whose chronic isolation and barbaric treatment has led many to go on hunger strike, even going so far as to sew their lips together as a symbol of their desperation. when my sister arrived at woomera and set up camp it was decided that they would all go to the concentration camp and show their support - offer gifts etc. when they got to the perimeter fence many refugees came to meet them and the power of their desperation hit the peaceful protest like a hammer. as one, the protest pulled against the fence until about forty refugees had escaped. the guards were unprepared for the numbers and passion of the protesters. my sister ! said it was the most powerful experinece of her life.

the reality of the (illegal) barbarity that is inflicted upon already traumatised poeple (many children) in the names of all australians is obscured or diluted by the distance and the filters that operate between 'us' and 'them'. media reports focus on the violence of refugees (detsroying their cages and harming themelves) and protesters (pulling down fences), whilst ignoring the unbelievable cruelty inflicted upon these poeple in the camps (they are called 'animals' by the guards of these privately run prisons. they are beaten, drugged and isolated without access to paper and pencils, TV, phones). but when reality comes calling it leaves no room for rationalisations.

the reality of the refugee camps is there whether we know of it or not. when we do become aware of it (and for the citizen there is the obligation to make themselves aware of it) we need to transcend the distance, as well as the lies of government and media. this is the purpose of intellect. once the necessary pain of this step is taken there needs to be an output: the transmutation of knowledge into action. silence is consent. if this doesn't happen the individual will internalise the pain and become violent and/or depressed. dignity cannot survive inaction here. ignorance can indeed seem like bliss when in this situation.

we are seeing another good example of citizenship in israel. israel's illegal and barbaric actions against palestine are encouraged by the US. this is truly horrific stuff. however one of the pieces of news you won't get on CNN or ABC or whatever rubbish you have over there is the refusal of over one thousand israeli soldiers to take part in this massacre. most of these soldiers will end up in jail. their actions are a good example of intellectual (recognising the injustice of the 'war') over social value (doing what is legal - what your state tells you to do). reports of any israeli dissent to sharon and the stupid and cruel policies of his government are conspicuous by there absence from mainstream media.

what i am trying to show through a couple of topical examples is that platt's principle (live and let live) requires *action* not just from those confronted first hand with harsh reality, but all individuals. for protesters and soldiers the reality is more immediate, the moral imperative more demanding, but we are all responsible for the injustices that are perpetrated *in our name*. platt's credo is a great one - the old golden rule - but words are easy.

gav