Reflections on events and ideas with significant consequences on the discourse and the standing of institutions of rights Share Your Thoughts! (authors may submit their essay or provide a link if already published and they wish to republish it here).
Behind the Throne
Wealth, Power, the State, and Human Rights Introduction This article examines the enduring and often misunderstood relationship between private wealth and political power, using the 2025 inauguration of President Donald Trump as a symbolic point of departure. The image of the world’s richest individuals standing behind the President reveals a timeless political truth: wealth may influence, but only the State truly governs. The essay argues that while modern billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg are frequently portrayed as the most powerful figures of the age, their fortunes remain contingent on the authority, stability, and legal frameworks of the State. Drawing on historical precedents—from medieval Europe to Ibn Khaldun’s reflections on wealth and vulnerability—it traces how economic elites have always sought the protection of political power, even as they attempt to insulate themselves from it. In the modern global economy, extreme wealth is shown to be inseparable from state-created systems of law, finance, and regulation. The article distinguishes between influence—the capacity to shape outcomes indirectly—and power—the ability to command obedience through coercion and law—and argues that conflating the two obscures the real hierarchy that governs society. Furthermore, it explores how fear of change and loss of privilege drives both political conservatism and elite resistance to reform, even as the State remains the only institution capable of advancing equity and human rights. Ultimately, “Behind the Throne” contends that the image of the wealthy standing behind political authority is more than metaphor: it captures the paradox of modern capitalism […]
Unprecedented Decision–the United States refuses to review its human rights record
In a move with profound implications for the international human rights architecture, the United States has formally boycotted its scheduled Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva—marking only the second instance in the history of the UPR mechanism (established in 2008) that a state has refused to participate in its own peer review. This unprecedented decision—confirmed by the U.S. Mission in Geneva and enacted under President Donald Trump’s renewed administration—represents not merely procedural noncompliance, but a deliberate recalibration of U.S. foreign policy that positions human rights norms as dispensable instruments of diplomacy rather than binding obligations of governance. The UPR, a cornerstone of multilateral human rights accountability, mandates that all 193 UN member states undergo peer scrutiny of their domestic rights records every four to five years. Its design embodies the principle of equality of obligation: regardless of geopolitical stature, every state submits to the same process of reporting, questioning, and recommendation. The U.S., long a vocal proponent—indeed, frequent enforcer—of this very system, now stands in open defiance of it. As one former senior U.S. official observed, with poignant irony: “It’s tragic and deeply ironic that we helped to create the norms as well as this process that we are now backing out of.” This refusal to report is especially striking given historical precedent. During Trump’s first term, the United States withdrew from the Human Rights Council in 2018, citing perceived anti-Israel bias—a claim repeatedly challenged by legal scholars and UN rapporteurs alike—but […]
The Principle of Change–The Pulse of Life in Systems Thinking
On Change Change is often misunderstood as the enemy of stability—a force that disrupts order, tradition, and social cohesion. Yet this notion is fundamentally mistaken. The world exists because it is driven by change. Change is not the adversary of stability but its precondition, the pulse of life that animates the universe. In the framework of systems thinking, change represents the continuous process of adaptation through which systems maintain viability and coherence in the face of internal and external pressures. Every stable system is not static but dynamic, sustained by feedback loops that balance renewal and continuity. We witness the vitality of change in the natural world every moment of our lives. From the instant a person wakes, they embark on a journey of transformation. It may appear like yesterday, yet physiologically and psychologically, it is not. Every heartbeat, every breath, every shifting thought registers a new state. Cells die and regenerate; the seasons turn; stars are born and extinguished. Nature itself demonstrates that stability is not the absence of change but its product—a pattern sustained through perpetual adaptation. As Capra (1996) observes, living systems exist “at the edge of chaos,” where order emerges not through stillness but through self-organizing processes of transformation. On Change and Human Rights The same principle applies to human societies. Social systems, like ecosystems, depend on dynamic equilibrium. Policies, norms, and institutions must evolve in response to new realities, moral insights, and environmental constraints. In relation to human rights, it is through change that […]
The Boy Who Cried Human Rights
Once upon a time, there was a powerful boy named America who stood at the edge of the world and cried, “Human rights! Human rights!” And the world listened. He marched against dictators, helped rebuild nations after war, and spoke boldly at the United Nations about justice, freedom, and equality. When villages far away were crushed by tyranny, the boy sent food, medicine, and even soldiers, claiming to stand for what was right. He helped end apartheid in South Africa, stood up to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, and told the world that no one was above human dignity. So, when he spoke, people believed him. They looked to him not just for power, but for moral guidance — for courage in the face of cruelty. But one day, the wolf came. It came not from the forests of Europe or the deserts of Africa, but from the skies over Gaza. It came in the form of missiles, airstrikes, and blockades that swallowed entire families. The villagers cried out — their homes turned to rubble, their children buried beneath it — and they looked to the boy who had promised that freedom and justice belonged to everyone. America saw the flames. He saw the hospitals hit, the aid convoys stopped, the suffering broadcast to the world. But instead of rushing to protect the innocent, he hesitated. He looked at his oldest friend — Israel — the wolf dressed in familiar colors. He remembered shared weapons, shared votes, shared history. And […]
Nations’ Borrowing from the Future Betrays the Basic Norms of Rights
Abstract: National debt is often framed as an economic necessity—a tool for growth, stability, and strategic investment. Yet history reveals that debt has also been a recurring instrument of decline, eroding empires, undermining sovereignty, and transferring the cost of ambition onto future generations. This essay argues that public debt must be understood not only in fiscal terms but as a profound human rights issue. When states borrow beyond their means, they bind people who do not yet exist to obligations they never consented to—effectively transforming unborn generations into economic subjects without voice or agency. Drawing on historical examples and contemporary data from the world’s most indebted nations, the essay traces how unsustainable borrowing constrains development, deepens inequality, and compromises the capacity of future societies to uphold basic human dignity. It calls for a reimagining of fiscal responsibility as moral responsibility: a recognition that debt, when misused, is not just a financial burden but a form of intergenerational injustice—a silent exploitation of the future by the present. Throughout history, national debt has been both a tool of power and a moral test. Empires and states have borrowed to build roads, wage wars, and fund revolutions—but also to delay responsibility, to push the burden of today’s ambitions onto tomorrow’s citizens. When governments treat debt as an instrument of control or a source of artificial prosperity, they are not merely taking on financial obligations. They are borrowing against time, against the lives and possibilities of people not yet born. In that sense, debt […]
Comments on Rights
- Behind the Throne
Wealth, Power, the State, and Human Rights Introduction This article examines the enduring and often misunderstood relationship between private wealth and political power, using the 2025 inauguration of President Donald Trump as a symbolic point of departure. The image of the world’s richest individuals standing behind the President reveals a timeless political truth: wealth may - Unprecedented Decision–the United States refuses to review its human rights record
In a move with profound implications for the international human rights architecture, the United States has formally boycotted its scheduled Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva—marking only the second instance in the history of the UPR mechanism (established in 2008) that a state has refused to participate - The Principle of Change–The Pulse of Life in Systems Thinking
On Change Change is often misunderstood as the enemy of stability—a force that disrupts order, tradition, and social cohesion. Yet this notion is fundamentally mistaken. The world exists because it is driven by change. Change is not the adversary of stability but its precondition, the pulse of life that animates the universe. In the framework - The Boy Who Cried Human Rights
Once upon a time, there was a powerful boy named America who stood at the edge of the world and cried, “Human rights! Human rights!” And the world listened. He marched against dictators, helped rebuild nations after war, and spoke boldly at the United Nations about justice, freedom, and equality. When villages far away were - Nations’ Borrowing from the Future Betrays the Basic Norms of Rights
Abstract: National debt is often framed as an economic necessity—a tool for growth, stability, and strategic investment. Yet history reveals that debt has also been a recurring instrument of decline, eroding empires, undermining sovereignty, and transferring the cost of ambition onto future generations. This essay argues that public debt must be understood not only in - From Bookstore to Empire: The Case of Amazon
Hoarding and Human Rights Introduction This essay examines the distinction between the creation and transfer of wealth through the lens of Amazon’s business model and its broader implications for economic ethics and human rights. It argues that legitimate wealth arises through two primary paths: the production of goods and services, or their distribution through trade - The First Step to Genocide Is a Word
The Way Dehumanization Paves the Path to Atrocity Every genocide and every crime against humanity is rooted in one deliberate act: the dehumanization of its victims. Study any instance of genocide, mass atrocity, war crime, or systematic violence—and you will find a consistent, chilling pattern. Before the violence begins, a narrative is constructed to justify - The Foundation of All Rights
Freedom of Speech Abstract Freedom of speech, thought, and conscience constitute the cornerstone of all human rights. Without the capacity to articulate claims, challenge authority, and bring grievances into the public sphere, other rights remain inaccessible and unenforceable. Drawing on the ideas presented in Muslims and the Western Conception of Rights , this essay argues - Added Value and Human Rights
Cocoa and the Economics of Global Inequity AbstractThe denial of “added value” lies at the core of global economic inequity and its human rights consequences. While underdeveloped countries supply the raw materials that fuel global industries, developed economies capture the real wealth by processing, branding, and selling finished goods. Cocoa is a striking example: West - The Genocide Scholars’ Resolution on Gaza–Implications for International Law and Western Legitimacy
On August 2025, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)—the most authoritative academic body in the field of genocide studies—adopted a landmark resolution declaring that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide as defined under the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. This resolution, endorsed by 86 percent of the world’s leading genocide scholars, represents a pivotal - Volunteerism, Inequity, and the Right and Responsibility of Work
Volunteerism is often celebrated as altruistic, yet in unequal contexts it can both exploit unpaid labor and deny vulnerable individuals opportunities for paid work. This article argues that while the right to work is fundamental to dignity, work must also be understood as a responsibility: to sustain oneself, provide for dependents, and fulfill the - The Algorithmic Erasure of Atrocity: AI, Politics, and the Struggle for Human Rights
Abstract: This article examines the intersection of artificial intelligence, political influence, and human rights, focusing on how large language models (LLMs) respond to allegations of mass atrocities such as the Uyghur genocide in China and the situation in Gaza. Drawing on documented instances—including the suspension of the Grok chatbot from X after citing credible human - State, Science and the Human Rights Abuses
Abstract This article explores the CIA’s Project MK-Ultra and related Cold War–era experiments that sought to control human behavior through drugs, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, and electroshock. Framed as national security research, these experiments systematically violated international human rights standards, including the right to dignity, informed consent, and freedom from torture. Drawing connections to the Nuremberg - The Abuse of Power as the Root Cause of Human Rights Violations
Power can be defined as the determining system that produces outcomes in the shortest time possible. In social contexts, this form of power is exemplified by the authority of the state—particularly the executive branch in systems governed by a tripartite model (legislative, judicial, and executive), or by a singular authority figure in centralized systems (king, - Modern Slavery in Plain Sight–How State Failure Fuels Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation
Abstract This narrative article sheds light on the hidden reality of modern-day slavery—especially child sexual exploitation facilitated by cross-border tourism—demonstrating how fragile human rights norms crumble in the face of systemic failures. Drawing from international data and reports, it unpacks how state negligence, corruption, and legal gaps allow organized networks to prey on vulnerable populations,