Gap between Human Freedom and Violence

Throughout the recorded history of social chaos, political conflicts, and battles of victories in nations, calling for the freedom of individuals as well as spiritual emancipation from suppression has been playing a significant role in the overall process of ideological development where human beings undergo complex experiences shaped by confusions and awakenings. Historically, the persistently held faith that every single individual on earth, by virtue of their humanity, is inherently entitled to the fundamental right of freedom encounters varying degrees of challenges in global matters with respect to the flexibility of fulfilling individuals’ fundamental rights and proper political governance regarding promotion of rights. With multiple forms of precursors engaging in registering human tradition of strivings and resistance against repressive regimes, several milestone theoretical documents are of crucial importance for guiding global citizens towards progress, meanwhile, facilitating effective policies to strengthen stability in nations. French “Declaration”s assertion of political associations’ everlasting objective in protecting man’s right of liberty (National Assembly of France 1789), provides a clear direction for people’s defense of ideals of freedom and governments’ efforts towards good citizenship. One German philosopher, Kant’s emphasis on establishing rational beings’ freedom as the solid groundwork of operation of states (Immanuel Kant 1965 serves as another progressive step in improving the collective awareness of unconstrained practice. However, when located in the current context in the twenty-first century, the emergence of new questions and disputes regarding violations of the promise of free space in conducting personal actions is visibly plaguing the world and harming citizens. As cases of economic exploitation and excessive controls of political powers are increasingly reported, the revelation of a human right crisis is nowadays pushing many sides to draw out responding solutions and implement strategies for remediation. A detailed analysis of manifestations of some problems that occur in different corners of the world becomes not only urgent but exceedingly helpful for a systematic understanding of the essence of violence, making possible for the availability of countermeasures.

During the decolonization age, massive amounts of campaigns conducted in African and Asian lands from the third world has allowed the world to witness fierce resistance from nationalities against colonists and their wicked intentions of manipulations. It turns out efforts made by our brave predecessors in enforcing human freedom and acquiring political independence are facing signs of recurrence due to the dramatic global growth of business domination widely addressed as corporate capitalism. In this new century defined by a dramatic pace of globalization and energetic business intercourses at multi-regional levels, corporate capitalism is maintaining itself a position of absolute basis in political, economic, and bureaucratic implementations by great powers. One of the most prominent features of this universal dominion lies in the fact that the ruling population that secures the continuation of exploitation is equipped with large capacity for subjecting less powerful rivals and minority groups to their intensive network made up of crushing forces and severe constraints. With this threatening situation achieving a worsening trend across the globe with the passage of time, more and more people from socialist nations are falling victim to this hidden but overwhelming force of violence. According to Herbert Marcuse, who expressed warnings against the ferment of global activities back in the last century, the nature of the issue around the realization of freedom of human animals has transformed. Instead of asking in what ways an individual could satisfy his desires without injuring others, the global community should figure out how he can meet his needs without hurting himself. By his aspirations, any established power that places dependence on an exploitative device actually “perpetuates his servitude (p.4 Herbert Marcuse).” It is indicated that any efficient alternative aimed at disorganizing the repression, no matter in what dimension, must construct a realm of liberation that necessitates a complete break from the exploitative order, meanwhile, adding to the prospect of unconditional freedom in future.

Another massive threat comes from nuclear weapons, a case that has been passionately mentioned, however, underrated in terms of their fatal effects not only to the cause of world peace but human liberty and dignity. In recent decades, it is obvious that original intent from our predecessors for illustrating the superior entitlement is undermined as many countries join the competition for developing nuclear weapons. A sharp contradiction is drawn between previous determinations of sustaining an appropriate political stance capable of preserving human rights from violence and loud claims of deterrence expressed through the agreement on designing the most deadly bombs. According to one Indian journalist, Arundhati Roy, rather than merely devising bigger bombs, countries like India and Pakistan, two new members of the nuclear family, are accelerating the terrible process of turning human against themselves (p.2 Arundhati Roy). The true enemy of nuclear war, different from other wars launched and fought over resources or territories, is the earth itself, where all substances, cities and fields, including human lives, would be severely tortured, air and water being poisoned. Roy pointed out that the flawed theory of deterrence results in wrong assumptions that what makes one nation frighten can scare away others. Besides, the obsolete comprehension of scales of ruins that nuclear weapons could wreak is one main reason for causing the deterioration of humanity. With governments playing as the primary actors who put their selfish eye on securing a foothold through deterring others and wearing masks, countless numbers of ordinary people are on the edge of catastrophe partly made by hypocrisy and insufficient knowledge about the horror of blasts. In the case, the broad masses of nations are undoubtedly denied rights of making free and informed decisions over their survivals and business of security. Even today, the devastating true nature of nuclear weapons is still facing a reality of few communications between the highest level of the political hierarchy and their people.

Roy’s condemnation that nuclear bombs are anti-democratic, anti-human, and purely evil methods adopted by the human race presents an excellent opportunity for re-examining the history of struggles for the agenda of freedom and enjoyment of rights. The advance of the times and society has facilitated significant expansions of political programs, along with increasing considerations of economic interests. With that comes from side effects of shortcomings in carrying out the mission of ensuring citizens’ freedom, either towards the practice of fundamental rights or individual security, from being damaged. Whether it is substitutions of political regimes in colonial days and decolonization age, the capitalist structure built by corporate elites, or race of nuclear facilities, all forms of repression and violence have been demonstrating their disruptive powers through killings of civilians and brutalization of innocent hearts. Besides from the collective pattern of violence that appears at the institutional level, lots of interpersonal conflicts and offensive actions have constantly been erupting within many parts of societies. From school shootings, widespread domestic violence, to attacks based on race, causes for inflicting local cruelties could be summarized as the incompetence of state governments and weak enforcement of laws. One severe type of violence that could lead to long-term physical, psychological, emotional trauma stems from sex abuse. One study conducted in 2005 by World Health Organization gave an estimate that about 0.3 to 1.5% female victims were reported having experienced sexual violence (Garcia-Moreno, C. et al 2005). Without any question, ineffective interventions, imperfect educational programs, lack of vigor in legislation are major factors for the high risks of occurrences of sexual assaults and rapes. Judith Butler’s remarks that women and minorities, including sexual minorities, form communities that are “subjected to violence, exposed to its possibility, if not its realization (Judith Butler 2004)” point to the fact that citizens live with losses and vulnerabilities due to their political constitutions. The inevitable interaction with other community members and frequent social publicity work together to bring about the chance for violence and deprivation of fundamental rights. Another philosopher, Frantz Fanon contended that one of the characteristics of underdeveloped societies lies in the fact that libido exists as the foremost concern within a group or a family unit (p. Frantz Fanon). Once again, it provides support for the truth that losses and harms could happen because of the afflicted people’s high exposures to social environments and the human need for attachments.

Kofi Annan’s saying that “We will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights (United Nations May 2005)” offers a convincing explanation for the unmatched role of preservation of human rights and identity. Conflicts about global capitalism started from the business domain, violent cycle formed by development of nuclear weapons, and acts of violence in local areas, reveals a dilemma in tackling the relation among human liberty, security and progress of politics of governance. Reductions of violent events and removals of damages rely on mutual trust, which could not be possible when reasons for giving that confidence are misread as complete sacrifices of individual freedom and execution of common rights. At different locations and times, the centrality of freedom and dignity is the principal mission for all organizations and individual members constituting them. Further, the gap between institutional business and safeguard of citizens’ fundamental rights could be shortened only by strengthening that ability in uninterrupted manners.