Basic human rights.

"As you do unto the weakest among you, so you display your own strength or weakness."

OK that wasn't Socrates, it was just how I see it. A country shows it's real strenghth by how well it supports it's most needy citizens.

Basic human rights or a lack of them is the biggest issue in the world politic today.

Human rights abuses take place everywhere, regardless of country or political system, with individual cases perpetrated by democracies and dictatorships in their various guises.

We watch the murder, torture and abuse on Television and other media daily, yet we are it seems, unable to do much about it individually.

The worst abuses are often in locations where ignorance and poverty are the norm so people hack their neighbors to death because suddenly it matters that they are of a different creed.

Often the real motive was to protect themselves from a death threat made to their families by an organized terrorist group and the enticement of having more to eat more often, or even to save their children from rape or torture.

The majority of these people need in this order of urgency. .

1. Peace.

2. Clean water.

3. Food.

4. A dwelling.

5. Education.

The list of peoples in Africa alone dying of starvation is exhaustive as we all know.

A sad and hopeless feeling returns to us when we are reminded of the enormity of the task ahead, so we sponsor as much charity as we can afford.

Still the problem persists. It is on the news every day and although your sponsored child is safe and being fed, educated and loved, there seems to be more children in need of safety and food everyday.

Overwhelming to many of us and difficult to contemplate emotionally and or rationally.

So if we can afford it we decide as a family to give to a broader base of charities in different situations and try to give as much support as we can afford to.

There is something else we can do for free.

Get together to change the world politic view with our power as voters.

We do not have to wait for election time, this can be done right now.

We do not need power, we have it.

Potential votes put the power in the hands of the people .

Seen in this light we are not helpless, we can change it all.

We do not have to throw our Congressperson out, or change Senators like socks, we can let them know what we will vote for.

American, Australian, English and the new European peoples must tell their politicians. "We are no longer willing to see more than half the world's children crying until they can't cry any more. Adjust policy and law at home and offshore to reflect results that are more accountable and more humane. Our country is only as strong as it's human rights policy and it's implementation.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

The average person is pretty decent and honest and will do what they can for others, but this same person may not feel that they have any way to reach the masses.

People who contribute through the arts, entertainment and sport get a dis-proportionate public exposure, but the opinion of the average man woman and child is seldom if ever heard except through the good works of some celebrity who may reflect an (often self serving) interest in a cause.

With great respect to Audrey Hepburn and so many other wonderful public icons who dedicated their lives to the plight of others.)

Common decency is what makes things work properly.

The developed world stand to lose everything it has gained if it continues to allow any starving people to be in peril any longer. All sentient human life forms have rights that are inherent, and it is time to apply those rights and put aside the idea of killing those who kill and negotiate other ways that lead to real democracy.

Those who kill believe there is no other way, I say we learn from history or suffer it's return. Killing is never the only way.

A birds eye view of the world.

Until recently Galileo Galilee was stil being ostracised by the church for locating planet earth in the larger scheme of things. We move slowly when it comes to new beliefs.

What would Galileo have said and done in our time?

Even he could not have imagined the computer bringing global connection like the Internet, providing a different type of "telescope"  focused on the earth and its inhabitants.

We have a birds eye view. We can look down, an amazing thing!

Foreseeing circumstances is now an easy well used art form. The world has eyes everywhere. We see the plight of all people on this tiny planet in a global perspective that has just begun and only available to a few until the last dozen years or so.

With user numbers growing every on Skype, MSN, etc  we are becoming neighbours with the whole planet, with little difference in contact cost or access from any point on the globe.

Because of this those Politicians who only care about being elected for another term and thereby seek votes with pending-political-term-thinking are sitting ducks for an active people to pick them off in the same way as the big boys have done in the past. The difference is it can all come from one good blog now, instead of some huge newspaper running their own agenda!

I would hope that citizens worldwide begin to lobby their politicians letting them know their humanitarian stance will affect the way they vote.

I know America can do it. I stood in pride and awe of my American friends when they elected Barry Obama. Not because he can fix all America's debt overnight as some will expect, but because of his transparent decency.

Australia and Britain will need a shove in that direction and although I can't vouch for the English, I feel Australia could and will do more to help under the Prime Minister-ship of Kevin Rudd than the previous lot did.Australia has a major human rights problem of it's own. Our aboriginal people are not getting what they need or deserve even in 2010.

Yes. Save the world on your own. You only have one voice, but if you use that individual voice you may, in your speaking or writings persuade others to do the same in.

The power has always been with the masses. it is strengthened or weakened depending on how the power is used.

The enemy is apathy. I say it is easy to be apathetic with a full stomach.

In easy going democracies where food and shelter are taken for granted it takes a bit to get people's focus off themselves, their families and ambitions for both.

The Taliban and other flat-earth zealots are the scariest abusers of human rights I can think of right now.

They're reasoned belief is that the abuse of women and children is apparently OK.

This sort of self evident human rights abuse based on religious bigotry is not owned by the Taliban alone. Our Western society is full of it too.

Separation of state and church is a good starting point for many nations to foster a less religioun based moral position and use what we have learned in the last 100 years about human rights and real moral values.

The world needs to see the advantages in not only feeding the children, but in helping the people create a tolerant society that has it's dignity and grace back.

Tithing is the fairest way to give money. It works well because it is practical.

Got a spare dollar? give a lazy 10 cents. Got 100 million dollars, give a lazy million dollars.

NO matter what financial position you approach from, if you give 10% as a thanks to the world that allowed you to be lucky with where and when you were born, it is like karma in the bank, or a warm feeling at least to know that you are a contributor to charity as well as pollution!