Monday, 29 July 2013
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Friday, 26 July 2013
Thursday, 25 July 2013
(EN) Spanish train crash
Spanish train crash: PM criticised over 'cut and paste' condolence message
Statement expressing grief for Santiago de Compostela crash victims includes unexpected reference to Chinese earthquake Link to video: Santiago de Compostela train crash: CCTV captures moment of derailment
Spain's embattled prime minister, Mariano Rajoy,
already beset by political and economic difficulties, faced severe
embarrassment on Thursday after it emerged that he had sent "cut and
paste" condolences for the Santiago de Compostela train crash.
After expressing his personal grief and sending his "most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims", his message went on to send even more regret "for the loss of human life and material damage" inflicted by the earthquake that struck the Chinese city of Gansu on Monday. The blunder was particularly unfortunate since Rajoy is from Galicia, the north-western region in which the crash took place, and was born in Santiago de Compostela, the nearest city to the site of the disaster.
Though the mistake was likely to have been made by an official in the prime minister's office, it was a further blow to a leader already under severe pressure. Next Wednesday, the Spanish prime minister is due to appear before parliament to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the illegal funding of his party, the conservative People's party (PP).
Rajoy on Thursday declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the tragedy whose number climbed to 78, making the crash the most serious rail accident in Spain for almost 70 years. A total of 77 people died as the result of a collision between Seville and Cadiz in 1972, but the biggest number of victims is thought to have resulted from an express train crash in 1944.
Between 500 and 800 people are thought to have died in the disaster which took place at Torre del Bierzo in north central Spain in the early years of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship. The scale of the tragedy was masked by the dictators' censors. The Spanish national rail company said at the time that the death toll was 78.
After expressing his personal grief and sending his "most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims", his message went on to send even more regret "for the loss of human life and material damage" inflicted by the earthquake that struck the Chinese city of Gansu on Monday. The blunder was particularly unfortunate since Rajoy is from Galicia, the north-western region in which the crash took place, and was born in Santiago de Compostela, the nearest city to the site of the disaster.
Though the mistake was likely to have been made by an official in the prime minister's office, it was a further blow to a leader already under severe pressure. Next Wednesday, the Spanish prime minister is due to appear before parliament to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the illegal funding of his party, the conservative People's party (PP).
Rajoy on Thursday declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the tragedy whose number climbed to 78, making the crash the most serious rail accident in Spain for almost 70 years. A total of 77 people died as the result of a collision between Seville and Cadiz in 1972, but the biggest number of victims is thought to have resulted from an express train crash in 1944.
Between 500 and 800 people are thought to have died in the disaster which took place at Torre del Bierzo in north central Spain in the early years of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship. The scale of the tragedy was masked by the dictators' censors. The Spanish national rail company said at the time that the death toll was 78.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
(EN) Giulio Andreotti: the Hunchback of the Palazzo Chigi
Written by: Phelim USHER-PURVES
Monday
saw the news of the death of one of the giants of Italian politics. In Italy's
fractious political scene, Giulio Andreotti represented an unwanted continuity,
holding the position of Prime Minister no fewer than seven times, and that of
Minister on 23 occasions. He was a leading light in Democrazia Cristiana (DC),
the centrist Christian Democratic party, which held power in various coalition
formations from the end of the war until the collapse of the party system due
to systemic corruption in the early 1990s known as Tangentopoli (loosely
translated as 'Kickback City' or 'Bribesville'). He was then created a senator
for life and spent much of the rest of his life fighting allegations of
corruption and collusion with the Mafia throughout his terms of office.
Hidden
behind these dazzling facts and figures is the nature of the man; by all
accounts an enigma. A superb tactician and political thinker who couldn't see
that the era of the DC was at an end; a devout Catholic and friend of several
popes with no moral scruples about paying the costs of retaining power; a great
lover of beauty, art and culture but with no sense of intimacy. He is known for
his many witticisms, and famously locked horns with Lady Thatcher over the
thorny issue of European economic and monetary union. Throughout his terms of
office, he wished to present himself as a humble worker trying to do his best
for the nation, and perhaps leading a life he would not otherwise have chosen:
"I know I'm of average height, but looking around, I don't see any
giants".
Even
in Italy, a country in which nicknames are often attributed to politicians,
Andreotti stood out: the Black Pope, the Hunchback, Beelzebub, the Divine
Giulio. Many of these were used by critics and supporters alike, in reference
to his cunning, his intelligence and his ruthlessness, and perhaps this
uncertainty lies at the heart of the enigma. To some, he was the hero of the
Cold War, a man who kept the powerful Italian Communist Party out of power, and
put Italy on the road to economic success. To others he was a symptom of the
pervasive corruption of the era before the 1990s, keeping himself and his
political allies in power with scant regard for the wishes of the electorate.
And to still others, he was simply a relic of the 'old order', promoting
Catholic views and warning about the dangers of consumption to a populace that
was no longer really listening.
What
Andreotti's passing really marks is an opportunity for Italian politics to
forget the post-war dominance of the centre, the limp electoral reforms and fragmentation
of the political system resulting from . It allows Italy to break with the past
and truly achieve a Second Republic. It may be ironic that the death of one of
the architects of a false political stability in may give Italy a real chance
for another form of democratic stability, but it is an irony that the 'Divine
Giulio' would have appreciated.
Friday, 3 May 2013
(EN) German bomber
German bomber to rise from its English Channel grave
Dornier Do 17, one of Luftwaffe's 'flying pencil' bombers, was shot down off Kent coast during battle of Britain in 1940
The only surviving German second world war Dornier Do 17 bomber is to be raised from the English Channel in an operation announced on Friday.
The plane's retrieval from the Goodwin Sands off the Kent coast more than 70 years after it was shot down during the battle of Britain will mark the biggest recovery of its kind in British waters, the RAF Museum said.
The existence of the aircraft became known when it was spotted by divers in 2008 at a depth of around 15 metres (50ft) on a chalk bed.
Sonar scans by the RAF Museum, Wessex Archaeology and the Port of London Authority then confirmed the identity of the aircraft as the Dornier Do 17Z Werke number 1,160.
Nicknamed the Luftwaffe's "flying pencil" bombers because of their narrow fuselage, the aircraft is said to be in "remarkable condition".
The main undercarriage tyres remain inflated and the propellers show damage from the bomber's fateful final landing, experts have said.
Lifting it from the sea will take around three weeks using pioneering technology and will have to take place within a given time frame owing to tide and weather conditions.
A grant of more than £345,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has made its retrieval possible.
Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, director general of the RAF Museum, said: "The discovery and recovery of the Dornier is of national and international importance. The aircraft is a unique and unprecedented survivor from the battle of Britain and the blitz.
"It will provide an evocative and moving exhibit that will allow the museum to present the wider story of the battle of Britain and highlight the sacrifices made by the young men of both air forces and from many nations."
Once it has been lifted, work will start to conserve and prepare the Dornier for display. The work will take place at the museum's Michael Beetham conservation centreat Cosford, Shropshire.
The aircraft will be placed in two hydration tunnels and soaked in citric acid for the first stage of its conservation. Once the delicate process is complete, the aircraft will be displayed at the museum's London site within the context of the battle of Britain story.
The culture minister, Ed Vaizey, said: "Today marks the beginning of an exciting project to raise the last surviving Dornier Do 17 bomber from the English Channel.
"I'm delighted the RAF Museum and the NHMF have joined forces to make this project possible and I know that it will be a tremendous addition to the museum's collection where it will serve to educate and entertain all who visit."
Dame Jenny Abramsky, chair of the NHMF, said: "The battle of Britain remains one of the most pivotal moments in the history of our country.
"The Dornier Do 17 was one of its main protagonists and therefore the trustees at the NHMF felt it was vital that this, the last known surviving example, be safeguarded."
The Dornier Do 17 will join a range of more than 1,200 objects and places which have been safeguarded by the NHMF at a cost of more than £300m.
These include the first world warship HMS Caroline, the last surviving vessel from the battle of Jutland, a rare collection of work by second world war codebreaker Alan Turing and HMS Alliance, the last surviving British submarine from the second world war.
It is hoped that the aircraft will be raised by the end of this month or early June.
(ES) LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN
336 reporteros y blogueros han sido encarcelados en 2013
Las denuncias de las asociaciones de periodistas están cada año más divididas entre las acusaciones al trato a los periodistas en países totalitarios y la precariedad de la profesión dentro de España. En lo que va de año, 174 periodistas han sido encarcelados en todo el mundo (hay 348 en total, muchos de ellos sin haber sido juzgados) y 19, asesinados. En cuanto a los que escriben solo en Internet, 162 blogueros han ingresado en la cárcel y 9 han muerto por el contenido de sus textos o investigaciones, según el Barómetro de Reporteros Sin Fronteras.
La ONG señala a Turquía como el peor país para las encarcelaciones. "No mataron a ningún periodista durante el año pasado, pero tienen una ley antiterrorista que aplican de manera tan tremenda que se encuentran con 70 reporteros encarcelados. Cualquier informe sobre el PKK (el independentista Partido de los Trabajadores del Kurdistán) o Armenia, confunden al mensajero con el mensaje. Esto es un escándalo para un país que aspira a entrar en la Unión Europea", explica la vicepresidenta de Reporteros Sin Fronteras, Macu de la Cruz. La periodista recuerda también países como México, en los que "no encarcelan a los periodistas, los matan" o Eritrea, donde "ni siquiera hay periodismo": "Solo hay propaganda, y los periodistas están directamente fuera de combate", apunta.
La presidenta de Reporteros Sin Fronteras, Malén Aznárez, ha calificado de "periodismo plasmario" la tendencia del presidente del Gobierno, Mariano Rajoy, y otros miembros de su partido de convocar ruedas de prensa sin preguntas y la precarización de las condiciones laborales de los reporteros en una entrevista en la cadena Ser.
Aznárez ha pedido al Ejecutivo que apruebe una ley de transparencia que permita a los periodistas acceder a toda la información pública y ha criticado que España sea "el único país de la UE, de más de un millón de habitantes que no tiene una ley de transparencia". "En caso de haberla tenido, difícilmente se hubiera llegado a la corrupción política y empresarial que hay ahora", ha asegurado.
Con el lema "Sin periodistas no hay periodismo. Sin periodismo no hay democracia", la Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España abunda en la crítica a las ruedas de prensa sin preguntas y abogan por la autorregulación de los profesionales y los medios. "Denunciaremos toda la pretensión de los poderes, sean cuales sean, de intentar controlar la información y ponerla al servicio de su ideología o, también, de sus intereses", afirman en un comunicado.
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
(ES) Empresas Mercenarias. Enemigos de Internet
El informe Enemigos de Internet señala a cinco empresas
"mercenarias" que venden sus servicios a los gobiernos para ayudar
técnicamente a la opresión de sus ciudadanos. Estas empresas son Gamma, Trovicor, Hacking Team, Amesys y Blue Coat, todas ellas radicadas en países occidentales.
Siria, China, Irán, Bahrein y Vietnam están entre una docena de países enemigos de Internet por sus políticas de espionaje online, según el informe anual de Reporteros Sin Fronteras que ha publicado hoy martes coincidiendo con el Día Mundial contra la Cibercensura.
El informe de este año, del que ha desaparecido Cuba como uno de los países que más espía a sus ciudadanos, también incluye a un grupo de países "bajo vigilancia" y, aunque hay una mayoría de países árabes y dictatoriales, también se encuentran en ese capítulo Australia y Francia por sus leyes de filtraje de contenidos y cierre de cuentas de particulares por motivos de copyright. En ese sentido, RSF señala: "Francia no debe sacrificar la libertad de expresión en Internet y la neutralidad de la Red por razones de seguridad o de protección del copyright".
Fuente: El Pais 12.03.2013
Siria, China, Irán, Bahrein y Vietnam están entre una docena de países enemigos de Internet por sus políticas de espionaje online, según el informe anual de Reporteros Sin Fronteras que ha publicado hoy martes coincidiendo con el Día Mundial contra la Cibercensura.
El informe de este año, del que ha desaparecido Cuba como uno de los países que más espía a sus ciudadanos, también incluye a un grupo de países "bajo vigilancia" y, aunque hay una mayoría de países árabes y dictatoriales, también se encuentran en ese capítulo Australia y Francia por sus leyes de filtraje de contenidos y cierre de cuentas de particulares por motivos de copyright. En ese sentido, RSF señala: "Francia no debe sacrificar la libertad de expresión en Internet y la neutralidad de la Red por razones de seguridad o de protección del copyright".
Fuente: El Pais 12.03.2013
Sunday, 10 March 2013
(EN) Interview with the Internship Coordinator at the Council of the European Union
INTERVIEW WITH Tamás
ZÁHONYI
Job: Internship Coordinator at the Council of the European Union
Date of Birth: 20th March 1975
Place of Birth: Budapest (Hungary)
Job: Internship Coordinator at the Council of the European Union
Date of Birth: 20th March 1975
Place of Birth: Budapest (Hungary)
Photos of Tamás by Nina Malobabic
Revised by MGM
Written and abridged by José V.
- Good morning Tamás, how are you?
Good
morning, good, thanks, and you?
- Very well thank you. Right, let’s begin, you don’t mind if I record the whole interview, do you? Just to make sure I don’t leave anything out when I write it down.
No, of
course not. Go on.- You are the Internship Coordinator but you have been an intern yourself, haven’t you?
Yes, that’s
right. I did my internship at the (European) Commission in 2004, a long time
ago...(laughs)… it was a different kind of internship though. Things have
changed over the years, back then we dealt with projects and similar kinds of
jobs.
- So what led you to Brussels in the first place?
Well, I
came to Brussels in 2006 to stay. I was applying for the competitive exam. I
actually came with my wife, she had a job and we decided to come together.
- What did you study?
I studied
economics but more related to tourism, I suppose we could call it Tourism Economics.
- Where did you attend university?
I actually
graduated in Hungary but I travelled a lot whilst I was studying so I have done
a few courses here and there across Europe. I benefited from a number of
scholarships and even though I didn't go on an Erasmus grant, I did other very
similar things.
- What job did you have before coming to Brussels?
Well, I was
working in the national administration of Hungary, in the tourism strategy
sector. That was actually my first serious long-term job and I stayed there for
5 or 6 years… a very long time.
- Now that you are here in Brussels, do you have plans to make Brussels your home for good?
“For good”
is actually a very strong expression...I ask myself that every now and then, one
can never know about the future. It’s very difficult to respond to that. Who
knows? I might stay or leave after a few years. All I know is that my wife and
I are from Hungary and, you know, after a decent number of years, we might want
to move back to our country but we haven’t planned that far ahead yet. Let’s
say for now that only time will tell.
- How often do you go back to Hungary to visit family and friends?
Well, not
as often as I would like, actually, a couple or 3 times a year, especially in
the summer months. My wife and I love to go back to visit our families.
- What do your family and friends think about you living and working in Brussels?
Well, they
would like me to live nearer but they have to accept it...(laughs)…and in a way
they are used to me being abroad after all my stays in different countries and
my studies abroad. I also think that nowadays it’s quite common to live and
work in a different European country. I know many people who do it. You know,
it's not like many years ago. Today, you have lots of students who end up
working far away from their homes.
- Are your friends and family proud of your role at the EU?
Well, many
of them don’t have a clear idea about what the EU does, as it happens…I mean,
many European citizens still have a blurry idea of what we do here. That’s
something we need to work on and actually this internship is about that as
well. My family is very happy for me and is proud of what I do. But, as I say,
something tells me that most of my friends back home, even the ones who come to
visit me, are a bit in the dark as far as my role in the Council is concerned.
- What have you learned in the time you have been working as an Internship Coordinator?
I have
actually been in the job for a year roughly. I started last April and, to be
honest, I think there’s still a lot for me to learn; as they say, I am on a
“learning curve”. I look forward to gaining more experience in the job. The way
I see it, is that the Internship office is here to help the trainees. We need
to make their experience as pleasant as possible. I would like for all of the
trainees to have the best possible time here and to be able to say that they enjoyed
every minute of it. I also think that the best thing that we can have from the
trainees is their feedback. I believe that you are actually the best people to
comment on the EU because, in a manner of speaking, you aren't bound by your
job or your boss since you are leaving after 5 months, and therefore you can
give us an honest, fresh and direct account of your views.
- Do you know of any intern who, using the internship as a platform, has secured an important job after the internship?
Not
directly, I mean I haven’t been here for long enough. Well, now that I think
about it, there was an intern who finished last February and she managed during
her internship to apply for the competitive exam at the Commission. She was
successful and she works now at the Commission as an official. She said that
the internship was crucial for her to learn and understand the inner workings
of the Commission and therefore to pass the feared interview.
- Do you keep in touch with interns after the internship?
Well, as I
say, I am a new kid on the block so to speak...(laughs)...Well many of them
come back not only to work as civil servants here but also as delegates from their
own countries. I would say that I run into them quite often, yes. Some of them
come by my office and say hi. I like that.
- Have you ever fired or heard of an intern being fired from the programme?
(Laughs)…
no, no, I have never fired an intern and I hope I never have to do it. No, the
only thing that I know of and that’s because I have read it in the documents
which I have in my office, was some time ago and had to do with security. Well,
we all come from different countries and have different customs. I think that
that time, it was concerning a matter which compromised the security of the
institution. It was probably a clash of cultures, as well. I can’t tell you
their name or what they did and actually, I am not sure whether that person was
fired in the end or not, but it's clear on the papers that there was a
significant problem. I don’t think it happens very often and the reason is
because we always get the best ones.
- Should English be the only language?
Well,
probably it would simplify things quite a lot, but I think the more languages we have, the
richer this place is. More languages means more ideas and more cultural
diversity.
- If you could, what things would you change in the EU Institutions?
The main
problem that we have is that the institutions are seen as some remote and
mysterious place, far away, and people don’t really know what we do here.
Often, even the countries take all the glory for the achievements but when
something goes wrong, they blame the EU institutions. I object to that. We need
to change the way that the EU is perceived and European countries can do a lot
of that work. Also, another thing is the
democratic deficit and that is something we have to tackle quite quickly, in my
opinion.
- It seems to me that the different institutions are, how could we say, isolated from each other. For example, translators from the Council don’t know much about what their colleagues do or think at the Commission and vice-versa. It’s as though each one of them were the king of his own castle, and is reluctant to share resources and initiatives with peers in the other institutions. What’s your take on this?
Well, yes,
that seems to be the case to you but I don’t really see it myself. I can tell
you that those barriers are increasingly coming down and relations between
professionals who work in different institutions are getting progressively
better. Things were different in the past, but now everyone is much more aware
of other professionals within the EU, or that’s what I would like to believe,
at least.
- Do you have any unusual stories about interns that you could share with me?
Well, not
that I am aware of…(laughs)… but, for example, I can tell you that sometimes,
interns find a job before they finish their internship. I think that’s good, but
there is a procedure that they must follow, of course. They need to notify us 2
or 3 weeks in advance prior to the date they wish to leave the internship.
- For those interns who come from economically-deprived environments, isn’t the internship simply a cruel taste of how good life could be, but may never actually be, before going back to their home countries to face a life of struggle and economic instability?
Well, we
are working on that but that’s up to you. I mean, you can choose whether you
want to stay or leave. Or maybe this is not your kind of job/life (even if that
sounds a bit unlikely). The EU makes a great effort to bring interns here and
that’s a good thing. The question is why do we invest so much money and effort
in them?
Even if the
financial investment we make in the interns is quite small, I think that there
is a high probability that those who come and work here will end up working in
an EU organisation back in their own countries. That way, we also ensure that
we maintain a good relationship with their countries. Also, I think that even
though you are officially classed as trainees, you do an immense amount of good
work and that should be much appreciated.
- What’s the best thing for trainees to do during their 5 month internship?
We organise
things but you have to network as well and make friends. I guess you must make
the best of the city and see as much of it as you can but at the same time you can
also do other things. You probably know better than anyone else what you would
like to do but the key is being proactive.
Also, I
know that different interns have different workloads, so I think that if you
want more work to do you can always ask for more. But if you do what you are
given and take it easy, it means that you have some extra time to go around and
meet other people. If you want to stay
in Brussels after the internship, for example, you should make the most of the
resources you have available and start job hunting now. There are lots of NGOs
in Brussels, so you can get in contact with them and say that you are working
for the EU. To make the initial contact you can use the phones, the PCs and all
the other resources that we have available.
- Will there be any point in the future where interns will be able to freely enter any of the institutions without security restrictions?
No, I don’t
think that’s going to happen. There was a breach of security a few years ago
and since then the Parliament wasn’t keen on everyone being able to walk around
freely. Also, we have trainees from other countries that don’t belong to the EU.
These countries can have different interests to ours, the importance of which
cannot be underestimated… We must remember where we are, I mean, there’s a lot
at stake here, especially in summits and conferences. We don’t see it and it’s
always of the highest confidentiality but there is a lot of extremely sensitive
information surrounding us. That’s why security has to be as tight as possible.
- Can you tell us your favourite…
Place to eat? I’ve only ever been there once but I was
bowled over by T’Kelderke, on the Grand Place. It’s on the corner of the square,
you go downstairs to eat in the cellar and the food is very authentic, rural
Belgian cookery. It’s not that expensive for the service and the quality of the
food you get compared to other places.
Village for a daytrip? Tervuren,
although it’s a bit larger than a village, to be honest. I used to live there
and it has a very nice arboretum
with trees from all over the world, about 100 hectares, and it’s free. You take
the tram to get there from Brussels city, it takes about 20 mins.
EU institution? The Council of the EU, of course!
Politician? Van Rompuy, he’s a
great politician. It is difficult to host and to juggle all 27 countries that
belong to the EU. He keeps a low profile which is what’s needed in his position.
Canteen? I prefer to go
out for a walk and to get some fresh air. I don’t see the difference between
the canteens since I don’t normally visit them. Sometimes I’m actually too busy
to have lunch so I skip it…(laughs). When I go out, I like to go for a walk and
so I go to Cinquantennaire. Actually
if I could recommend you one good canteen, I would suggest the one in the
modern tower in the European Commission, it’s called Madou canteen and is very very good but, again, access is quite
restricted, I am afraid.
- What’s your plan for the next few months?
Well, my
wife and I will go back to Budapest over Easter and probably over summer as
well. I haven’t been there since summer last year.
- What do you do in Budapest when you go on holiday?
Well, I see
my family and friends and also I relax in the thermal baths. I like seeing the old
folk playing chess in the water and reading their newspapers in the sauna. You
know, everyone minds their own business and is there to relax. I like that part
of my country’s culture very much indeed.
-
When I
was in Budapest a couple of years ago, I visited the Szechenyi thermal baths which
I found incredibly beautiful with their neo-baroque architectural features. Which thermal baths
do you usually go to?
Well
actually I go to Szechnyi too, as we own an apartment nearby. Having said that,
I think it’s a bit pricey for what they offer, but you know… I know my saunas, (laughs).
I like being in the thermal baths and I especially like relaxing in the sauna.
Personally, I don’t
usually play chess when I am in the thermal baths and I think it’s a custom that
we are losing with the new generations. I invite everyone to come and have some
rest & relaxation time in Budapest. I think that despite it being a big
place, it has a special kind of magic in the air.
- Ok, I think that's all. Thank you very much for your time. I think it's been a great interview.
Yes, that's right. It's was my pleasure. Now we can go to the café upstairs and enjoy a nice cup of tea.
- Of course.
__________________
Friday, 8 March 2013
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Friday, 22 February 2013
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
(EN) INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
UK & US
Individual rights are those principles that are held by a single person rather than an entire group. The rights of individuals can be mandated by the law, provided by social means or gained through self-determination. These rights are generally associated with the concept of nature. Essentially, each person is born with rights that cannot be disenfranchised by the group.
According to political scientists, individual rights can either be negative or positive. This means that a negative right allows the person to not act on a certain principle, while a positive right means that a person may act in a certain capacity if they want. This can either be mandated by the laws of a society or simply exist in a natural way. For example, a negative right is one that prevents a person from stealing from another individual. Meanwhile, a positive right is the right to speak freely.
Individual rights around the world are associated with the concept of individualism. In the United States, individual rights are often viewed as a viable way to promote freedom and prevent abuses by the government or the majority. This is very similar in most European countries; however, much of the discourse about individual rights are geared towards negative rights. In China, individual rights are used as a way to prevent the upheaval of society and promote a stronger central power. This is accomplished by combining negative rights with positive rights, essentially defining a parameter of what the individual can and cannot do.
To determine which individual rights exist, society uses a combination of self-determination and political philosophy through legal means. Most nations around the world mandate the positive and negative laws in a form of codified law such as a constitution for the nation or state. Certain philosophies state that the only reason for a government to exist at all is to identify and codify these respective rights so they are upheld by society.
Throughout history, singular rights have been the principle behind many revolutions and rebellions. Both the American and French Revolutions made the rights of the individual a central theme of the reason behind the conflicts and social changes. Inversely, the collective rights of each individual together was essential in the Bolshevik Revolution which brought the Communist Party to power in the Soviet Union. These individual rights were defined to benefit the entire population.
UK & US
Individual rights are those principles that are held by a single person rather than an entire group. The rights of individuals can be mandated by the law, provided by social means or gained through self-determination. These rights are generally associated with the concept of nature. Essentially, each person is born with rights that cannot be disenfranchised by the group.
According to political scientists, individual rights can either be negative or positive. This means that a negative right allows the person to not act on a certain principle, while a positive right means that a person may act in a certain capacity if they want. This can either be mandated by the laws of a society or simply exist in a natural way. For example, a negative right is one that prevents a person from stealing from another individual. Meanwhile, a positive right is the right to speak freely.
Individual rights around the world are associated with the concept of individualism. In the United States, individual rights are often viewed as a viable way to promote freedom and prevent abuses by the government or the majority. This is very similar in most European countries; however, much of the discourse about individual rights are geared towards negative rights. In China, individual rights are used as a way to prevent the upheaval of society and promote a stronger central power. This is accomplished by combining negative rights with positive rights, essentially defining a parameter of what the individual can and cannot do.
To determine which individual rights exist, society uses a combination of self-determination and political philosophy through legal means. Most nations around the world mandate the positive and negative laws in a form of codified law such as a constitution for the nation or state. Certain philosophies state that the only reason for a government to exist at all is to identify and codify these respective rights so they are upheld by society.
Throughout history, singular rights have been the principle behind many revolutions and rebellions. Both the American and French Revolutions made the rights of the individual a central theme of the reason behind the conflicts and social changes. Inversely, the collective rights of each individual together was essential in the Bolshevik Revolution which brought the Communist Party to power in the Soviet Union. These individual rights were defined to benefit the entire population.
(EN) THE LAND OF THE FREE. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free
Every year, the State Department issues reports on individual rights
in other countries, monitoring the passage of restrictive laws and
regulations around the world. Iran, for example, has been criticized for
denying fair public trials and limiting privacy, while Russia has been
taken to task for undermining due process. Other countries have been
condemned for the use of secret evidence and torture.
Even as we pass judgment on countries we consider unfree, Americans remain confident that any definition of a free nation must include their own — the land of free. Yet, the laws and practices of the land should shake that confidence. In the decade since Sept. 11, 2001, this country has comprehensively reduced civil liberties in the name of an expanded security state. The most recent example of this was the National Defense Authorization Act, signed Dec. 31, which allows for the indefinite detention of citizens. At what point does the reduction of individual rights in our country change how we define ourselves?
Even as we pass judgment on countries we consider unfree, Americans remain confident that any definition of a free nation must include their own — the land of free. Yet, the laws and practices of the land should shake that confidence. In the decade since Sept. 11, 2001, this country has comprehensively reduced civil liberties in the name of an expanded security state. The most recent example of this was the National Defense Authorization Act, signed Dec. 31, which allows for the indefinite detention of citizens. At what point does the reduction of individual rights in our country change how we define ourselves?
While
each new national security power Washington has embraced was
controversial when enacted, they are often discussed in isolation. But
they don’t operate in isolation. They form a mosaic of powers under
which our country could be considered, at least in part, authoritarian.
Americans often proclaim our nation as a symbol of freedom to the world
while dismissing nations such as Cuba and China as categorically unfree.
Yet, objectively, we may be only half right. Those countries do lack
basic individual rights such as due process, placing them outside any
reasonable definition of “free,” but the United States now has much more
in common with such regimes than anyone may like to admit.
These countries also have constitutions that purport to guarantee freedoms and rights. But their governments have broad discretion in denying those rights and few real avenues for challenges by citizens — precisely the problem with the new laws in this country.
The list of powers acquired by the U.S. government since 9/11 puts us in rather troubling company.
Assassination of U.S. citizens
President Obama has claimed, as President George W. Bush did before him, the right to order the killing of any citizen considered a terrorist or an abettor of terrorism. Last year, he approved the killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi and another citizen under this claimed inherent authority. Last month, administration officials affirmed that power, stating that the president can order the assassination of any citizen whom he considers allied with terrorists. (Nations such as Nigeria, Iran and Syria have been routinely criticized for extrajudicial killings of enemies of the state.)
Indefinite detention
Under the law signed last month, terrorism suspects are to be held by the military; the president also has the authority to indefinitely detain citizens accused of terrorism. While the administration claims that this provision only codified existing law, experts widely contest this view, and the administration has opposed efforts to challenge such authority in federal courts. The government continues to claim the right to strip citizens of legal protections based on its sole discretion. (China recently codified a more limited detention law for its citizens, while countries such as Cambodia have been singled out by the United States for “prolonged detention.”)
Arbitrary justice
The president now decides whether a person will receive a trial in the federal courts or in a military tribunal, a system that has been ridiculed around the world for lacking basic due process protections. Bush claimed this authority in 2001, and Obama has continued the practice. (Egypt and China have been denounced for maintaining separate military justice systems for selected defendants, including civilians.)
These countries also have constitutions that purport to guarantee freedoms and rights. But their governments have broad discretion in denying those rights and few real avenues for challenges by citizens — precisely the problem with the new laws in this country.
The list of powers acquired by the U.S. government since 9/11 puts us in rather troubling company.
Assassination of U.S. citizens
President Obama has claimed, as President George W. Bush did before him, the right to order the killing of any citizen considered a terrorist or an abettor of terrorism. Last year, he approved the killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi and another citizen under this claimed inherent authority. Last month, administration officials affirmed that power, stating that the president can order the assassination of any citizen whom he considers allied with terrorists. (Nations such as Nigeria, Iran and Syria have been routinely criticized for extrajudicial killings of enemies of the state.)
Indefinite detention
Under the law signed last month, terrorism suspects are to be held by the military; the president also has the authority to indefinitely detain citizens accused of terrorism. While the administration claims that this provision only codified existing law, experts widely contest this view, and the administration has opposed efforts to challenge such authority in federal courts. The government continues to claim the right to strip citizens of legal protections based on its sole discretion. (China recently codified a more limited detention law for its citizens, while countries such as Cambodia have been singled out by the United States for “prolonged detention.”)
Arbitrary justice
The president now decides whether a person will receive a trial in the federal courts or in a military tribunal, a system that has been ridiculed around the world for lacking basic due process protections. Bush claimed this authority in 2001, and Obama has continued the practice. (Egypt and China have been denounced for maintaining separate military justice systems for selected defendants, including civilians.)
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