Modern Political thought
STEP 1: A developed understanding of Mayr�s (2008) Ch.1 Introduction: power, discourse and
institutions reading from Week 6 is required. Students should read Mayr again and concentrate on the
themes in the reading that focus on the media as a production industry that produces content for
commercial reasons, and in so doing distributes content that conveys dominant ideologies about its
function as a reflection of society�s beliefs, values, principles etc.
STEP 2: A developed understanding of Talbot�s (2007) Ch.1 Introduction: media and discourse reading
from Week 7 is required. Students should read Talbot again and concentrate on the themes in the
reading that focus on the media as embedded in peoples daily lives and interactions so that through
shared knowledges, mediated texts are interpreted as conveying ideas about particular persons social or
professional positions.
STEP 3: The �identity� role you will research is: radio shock jock and/or commentators and their
activities (see pages 786-787 of Turbide, Vincent & Laforest 2010)
STEP 4: Conduct independent research to locate contemporary * Australian Newspaper content that
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features the topical professional/social roles mentioned above. Use ANZ Newsstand (Proquest) online
library database resource as a starting point. See the link below. *Article must have been published in a
(print or online) newspaper publication within the last 12 months.
Introduction
It is agreeable that human dignity needs a new guarantee. This can only be found in a
new political principle, in a new law on earth. This view emanates mainly from consideration of
the past perspectives and how they have shaped the current world. In view of this, there is need
to align the current government relations to the deliberations of ensuring a new guarantee of
human dignity. This paper analyses the points related to this view, especially in line with anti-
Semitism, imperialism and totalitarianism. There is also a deep analysis of why human dignity
needs new guarantee. This is done in line with consideration of the adopted perspectives in the
past and the new insights which can guarantee human dignity.
Human dignity needs a new guarantee
In the deliberations of human dignity, there is always involvement of human rights. In
consideration of the past inclinations, there has been lack of orientation of human rights to
human dignity. Human dignity in inviolable and must be respected at all costs. Without due
respect being given to human dignity there can be no success in efforts of ensuring human rights
in local and international relationships. It is on the basis of realization of the crucial role of
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human dignity that human rights are pegged on human dignity. Without aligning human rights to
human dignity, there cannot be success in ensuring guarantee of human dignity through human
rights.
The universal declaration Human Rights of 1948 can be said to align to the recognition of
inherent human dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family. The
statement “members of the human family” is very much significant. This utterance is made in
view of the past alienation of some groups of people in the efforts of articulating human rights.
This deficit was more so in the informal efforts that were made in the past. It is on the basis of
the exclusion of some people in the efforts of ensuring human dignity that the insight of ensuring
a guarantee for human dignity is based, (Siegert & WardPp 2141). If human rights are extended
in the best way only to some groups of people and the rest (even if the rest are minority) do not
get the effects of human rights, then human dignity is not guaranteed. Analysis of the past
exercises of powers by governments give insights in to the deficits that were there in terms of
ensuring guarantee of human dignity. It is on those bases that efforts are made to ensure that
human dignity is guaranteed especially in ensuring that human rights are universal not only in
writings and utterances, but also in the real practice. Hence, the protection of human rights as an
aspect of human dignity guarantee has become the jurisdiction of every government, (Tulli, pp
577) without efforts to ensure protection of human rights a government would not be trusted by
the citizens and there would be no association f the government with the efforts of ensuring
guarantee for human dignity.
Analysis of the past
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Before the formal declarations of human rights in the efforts to ensure protection of
human dignity, there were informal efforts that were made. An analysis of these efforts points to
the realization that there were many gaps in which the human dignity was not respected. There
have different efforts by governments to ensure that there is loyalty from the followers of the
government and that the government assures the loyal followers the protection of their human
dignity. However, different models of leadership adopted and the inner efforts display a lack of
the right direction in the guarantee of human dignity to the citizens being led.
For instance, anti-Semitism, which here is not taken to mean hatred of Jews had its own
loopholes when it comes to guarantee of human dignity. In the outer meaning which entails
exclusion of some people who are noted as not being loyal to the stipulated cultures of the
nation, there is already an implication of lowering human dignity. This view emanates from the
fact that; all efforts should be made to ensure a guarantee of human dignity. When the effort
done only orients to an exclusion of the people regarded as not being loyal such that they are
punished, there is no implication in guaranteeing human dignity. Since human dignity is an
inclusive aspect of human beings, it is essential that efforts are made to ensure that the guarantee
encompasses everyone. Even in the different categories of people, efforts should be made to
ensure a guarantee for every individual, (Tuckerman, P, Cain, P, Long, B, & Klarkowski, Pp
177). It is on the basis of this idea that there has been collaboration of nations in efforts to ensure
articulation of human rights as an aspect of human dignity.
There is need for efforts to be made to ensure that the protection of human dignity is not
exclusive for some people. It cannot be pessimistically said that there have not been efforts made
to ensure that there is an extension of the guarantee of human dignity in the deliberations of
exercising human rights. The empowering of non elected judges to deal with the issues of
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human rights presents a country with a noble way of ensuring that human dignity is guaranteed
in the efforts of a nation deliberation of human rights (Ahamed pp36). It is noted that such
crucial efforts were not adopted in the past eras due to the failure to realize the need to guarantee
human dignity. In the wake of enlightenment of the human family, there should be no glimpse of
steps back towards such orientation. More efforts should be made to ensure that more steps are
taken in empowering the unelected members in the nation to see that there is protection of the
human rights in their view as an aspect of human dignity.
When excessive power is endowed to elected members of our societies such that the
unelected members have no say, then the steps towards demolition of human dignity instead of
its guarantee are made. This view emanates from the realization that; it is the adoption of such
aspects that made the human family dwell in the dark times of little human dignity and lack of its
guarantee, for instance during the times of imperialism. In the realization of the importance of
guaranteeing human dignity, human rights is placed way above the politics of a country. When
such efforts are made, it becomes easier for a country to guarantee human dignity. On this note,
political right is just one of the rights while the whole human rights aspect encompasses many
other rights. It would therefore not be viable to give more priority to politics than to the human
rights bill in a country, or any other aspect pertaining human rights in efforts to ensure a
guarantee of human dignity, (Ahamed pp36).
The exclusion of some citizens in the exercise of human rights such that it is clear their
dignity is not guaranteed can be likened to the anti-Semitism which was experienced by the Jews
in the past, (Klug pp 443) on these bases, it cannot be said that anti-Semitism is long time over.
Again, on the same bases it cannot be said that this is a wrong analogy. This is because; the Jews
are human beings, whom it was realized that it was wrong to exclude them in the exercise of
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human rights. This statement is on the basis of human dignity as a universal factor. On the same
note, there should be no exclusion of any kind of human being in the deliberations of human
rights. If such happens under the watch of any given government, then such aspect is not
different from the long time exercised anti-Semitism.
Tackling the barriers
There should be efforts to ensure that a government tackles the barriers to provision of
human rights and guarantee of human dignity. To ensure success in such efforts, it is crucial for
a government to ensure that all facets of human rights have been given priority. The government
ought to ensure that the information that is given from governmental institutions as well as other
institutions is based on truth, (Cameron & Godwin pp 203). This view follows the realization of
false information given by institutions such as hospitals, and which can greatly undermine the
efforts of ensuring human dignity is guaranteed. For instance, due to one’s own inclination, there
could be giving out of false information so as to undermine the dignity of the people who have a
different lifestyle to that which one has adopted. In the wake of deliberate efforts of ensuring a
guarantee of human dignity, there should be much sensitization to ensure that every one puts
efforts of ensuring a guarantee of the human dignity. On this note, the effort should not be left to
the few elected people. Every person’s contribution towards this effort is of great importance
because; just as the human dignity is an inclusive aspect, the efforts of realizing its guarantee are
also universal and call for efforts of every human member. There is need for governments to
legislate on civil laws that ensure protection of citizens against lies and the implications of the
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same, (Boreham Pp 3) such efforts would go a long way in ensuring that there is a guarantee of
human dignity.
The analysis of imperialism in relation to the need for a new guarantee of human dignity
may seem like a farfetched idea, but is an ideal aspect in as far as the efforts of ensuring new
guarantee for human dignity are concerned. The efforts of ensuring guarantee of human dignity
must be pegged on respect for the right of every human being regardless of their background. If
the efforts orient to a particular group of people, then the ailments of imperialism and
totalitarianism will not escape the current generation and generations to come. This view
emanates from the realization that; if the rights of human beings are not made entirely universal,
there cannot be a realization of the guarantee to human dignity, (Dragojlovic, Pp 59). The same
effects associated with past ill forms of governance such as imperialism and totalitarianism will
still manifest themselves only in different forms. As long as it is human beings ailed by such
effects, there cannot be claims of achievement of a guarantee for human dignity. Without a
universal approach, and taking the direction of articulating the efforts in new political principles
and in new law on earth, there would be no fruits realized.
If the same aspects of imperialism are still exercised in government deliberations, the
guarantee of human dignity will not be realized. When there is exercise of power without
respect of the indigenous people, then it is only time that withholds the destruction of the dignity
of the people, such as destruction of masses of people, (Lawson, pp 19). This idea is pegged on
the realization that; just as imperialism led to loss of life in the long run in the past, if today there
is exercise of the same aspects by government, there is bound to be equal or more loss. When
there is loss of life due to the failure to articulate human rights in a manner that presents
guarantee of human rights, then the extremes have been reached. This kind of destruction cannot
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be said to belong to the past, as long as enough efforts are not being made to ensure that there is
a guarantee of human dignity by all means. Legislation by governments should ensure that no
loopholes can allow penetration of such low levels o human dignity, (Boreham Pp 3).
In the efforts to ensure a guarantee of human dignity, there should be a realization of the
differences amongst people which must also not be used to segregate people such that some have
more dignity bestowed while other do not. This can be likened to the views that were made over
Jews that they refused to be ‘men’ (Staudenmaier, pp163). If there is adoption of such sentiments
in government, expected to ensure guarantee of the dignity of people, there would be no fruits
borne. The legislation done will orient towards the favored group of people and evil will begin
to brew. With time, even the little efforts made in ensuring human rights will be washed away by
the gaps allowed to dim those efforts. These kinds of deliberations are associated with
stereotyping which is a great evil and set back in the efforts of ensuring human rights as well as a
guarantee of human dignity.
Guarantee of human dignity must be precedent by efforts of ensuring restriction of
power. The analysis of past leadership ailments that saw inclinations of little or no human dignity
are associated with empowering the leaders in an unlimited manner. When the leaders are
endowed with power that is not limited such that they control everything without question, then
there is bound to be loopholes and human dignity for every one cannot be guaranteed, (Hoover
pp 220). For instance, in the exercise of totalitarianism, there was demand for unquestioning
obedience from the members. There was demand for allegiance to the leader even if the leader is
unseen and unknown. This may sound very much like a thing of the past, but a closer look in the
current dealings can reflect some elements of totalitarianism. The issue of unquestionable
allegiance is a great barrier to guarantee of human dignity. That is why there is and there should
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be efforts of separating powers in any given government such that one wing is able to correct the
other in efforts of ensuring human dignity is guaranteed and especially in stipulating and
exercising human rights
In those efforts, it would not be viable to take that which belonged to the past and call it
our heritage without deliberating on the consequences. Even in deliberating on the past, caution
must be taken because; different times call for different efforts. What might have worked in the
past may not work in the modern times. It is viable to learn from the past, but it would be a great
mistake to lift up ideas from the past and apply them in current situations without testing the
relevance. In the efforts to ensure that we learn from the past and apply the lessons in the present
with relevance, there must also be efforts to rectify the mistakes. It is not viable to assume that
the bad things of the past will be buried in oblivion as time goes by. In order to live with clear
consciences, it would be crucial to ensure that we put efforts to bury the past. This is achievable
by ensuring that all elements that are negative have been avoided in the current deliberations to
ensure a guarantee of human dignity. It is crucial to note that; the efforts must be inclusive so as
to ensure success in guaranteeing human dignity.
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Bibliography
Ahamed, F 2013, ‘Does Australia need a constitutional Bill of Rights?’, Middle East Journal of
Business, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 35-38.
Boreham, K 2014, ‘The Right To Truth: The Freedom To Speak, To Know And To Be Protected
From Lies’, Legaldate, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 2-4.
Cameron, S, & Godwin, J 2014, ‘Barriers to Legal and Human Rights in Australia in the Era of
HIV Treatment as Prevention’, AIDS Education & Prevention, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 202-
