Monthly Archives: September 2010

Human Rights Maps (99): Economic Freedom

Posted on September 30, 2010 by

First, why is economic freedom a human rights issue? The most important reason perhaps is that there is a correlation between economic freedom and GDP growth, and GDP growth or economic growth in turn is a prerequisite for the fight … Continue reading →

Posted in data, economics, human rights maps, poverty, trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Political Graffiti (118): Ballot Box

Posted on September 29, 2010 by

(source, the text reads “Ballot box” and “Place your votes here”) More graffiti on democracy is here, here, here, here and here. More textual information on democracy is here. More political graffiti in general is here.

Posted in activism, democracy, political graffiti | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Marx, Substructure, Superstructure and Human Rights

Posted on September 28, 2010 by

In an effort to convince you that my new $19.95 book is actually worth a lot more than that, I’m blogging some excerpts. (I posted the introduction when the book came out). Today, something about the marxist theory of substructure, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, economics, Marx, democracy, and rights, philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Most Absurd Human Rights Violations (63): A Spine For a Spine

Posted on September 27, 2010 by

An interesting case of lex talionis: A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals if they are willing to damage a man’s spinal cord as punishment for a cleaver attack that left a 22-year-old paralysed. The victim, Abdul-Aziz al Mutairi, became … Continue reading →

Posted in human rights violations, law, most absurd human rights violations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Causes of Wealth Inequality (9): Merit

Posted on September 26, 2010 by

In my ongoing exploration of the possible causes of high income inequality in rich countries, I stumbled across this politically incorrect quote: A reason for the “wealth or income gap”: Smart people keep on doing things that are smart and … Continue reading →

Posted in causes of income inequality, economics, equality, justice, philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Political Graffiti (117): Shock and Awe

Posted on September 25, 2010 by

(source) More about Abu Ghraib. More on torture. More political graffiti. Related Articles Is graffiti vandalism or art? Calgary grapples with issue (calgaryherald.com) Camden team hunting down graffiti artists (philly.com) Calgary police crack down on graffiti (cbc.ca) Educational Graffiti – … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, political graffiti | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Migration and Human Rights (31): Illegal Immigration and GDP

Posted on September 24, 2010 by

I’ve argued before that immigration – even illegal immigration – is economically beneficial for the host country, contrary to widespread belief and propaganda. There’s some new evidence for this claim in the following graph: (source, source) These figures suggest that … Continue reading →

Posted in citizenship, data, economics, globalization, international relations, law, work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Political Jokes & Funny Quotes (95): The Efficiency of Development Aid

Posted on September 24, 2010 by

From The Onion: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI—Three months after a 7.0 earthquake rocked the impoverished island nation of Haiti, 36-year-old Brad Halder visited its demolished capital to see firsthand how his $10 donation to a relief fund was being spent. “It’s been … Continue reading →

Posted in aid, comedy, economics, health, housing, international relations, political jokes and funny quotes, poverty | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Human Rights Quote (80): What Development Aid Can Do To End Global Poverty

Posted on September 23, 2010 by

The aid target set by the United Nations is that high-income countries should deliver 0.7 percent of GDP in aid. Most high-income nations do not meet this target. But even if they did, 0.7 percent of GDP from the G7 … Continue reading →

Posted in aid, data, economics, human rights quote, international relations, poverty | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Discrimination (6): Should People Be Liable For Unconscious Discrimination?

Posted on September 22, 2010 by

First of all, it’s evident that people often have unconscious motives for their actions. For example, parents “wishing the best” for their children can act out of frustration about their own past failures. So it’s likely that some acts of … Continue reading →

Posted in discrimination, discrimination and hate, equality, law, statistics, work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments