Exploitation, No International Cooperation, Yes

Thank goodness that everything is finally changing. Thank goodness that we will soon see the end of this shameful spectacle in which a few powerful countries appropriate the natural resources of a majority of the others, while even provoking invasions and establishing intolerable systems of oppression in order to do so. 

Calmly observe what Canada is doing, even from an environmental perspective, while extracting natural resources in Latin America and Africa. 

Quietly look at who controls the principal resources –oil, gas, coltan...- in many countries that, moreover, are in situations of incredible hardship. 

See why Iraq and Libya were attacked and who control their immense resources today. 

See why clear and permanent violations of human rights are tolerated in certain countries. See the immense quantities of arms purchases that they make in return... 

Yes. Observe how today the great natural, financial and media resources are concentrated in so few hands... and then you will understand that a new era is commencing in which instead of imposing and protecting privileges, no matter how “legal” they may be, we will have to converse, to contribute funds for our mutual benefit. To engage in dialogue instead of exploiting, to cooperate. 

Investor rights must be amicably reviewed so that they do not take precedence over the rights of the people... 

The time has come to share and to “re-found” international cooperation, which was a key phrase in the 1950s and 1960s, within the framework of the United Nations. 

A few years ago, when President Evo Morales learned that the semester profits of a single U.S. oil company amounted to over 1 billion dollars, he hit the mark when he observed “and we don’t even have beans on the plates of all Bolivians”. And he then proclaimed with force and conviction, “Partners, yes. But owners, the people”. And President Obama expressed similar sentiments shortly thereafter in Cairo: “We have to understand that the time for hegemony is over and in the future we must advance hand in hand”. 

And that’s the case: with citizen participation facilitated by modern communications technology, we are fortunately commencing a new era of cooperation, understanding, mediation and alliance. An era of disarming armies, and re-arming human beings. The plutocrats will cease their exploitation and, together, democrats will commence a new era of solidarity and international cooperation. 

Everything is changing, including employment, work, security, well-being… This is the time for human rights. And a Universal Declaration of Democracy.