ON ECONOMIC FREEDOM

First, I would like to inform you that we have received a kind email from Mr. David Llistar, Director of Global Justice and International Cooperation of the Barcelona City Hall, where he writes:

“Thank you for your proposal (‘the possibility of cooperation for celebrating an open and transparent Universal Congress on Human Unity’ –he mentions). Once we have carefully studied it and given the sensitive situation of the issue, we do not consider well-timed at this moment to cooperate with this kind of initiative”.

We do not understand well what he means with the expression “given the sensitive situation of the issue”, (we think he is probably meaning the political situation in Catalonia since we mentioned our understanding of it and our wish to contribute to solve it with our human-unity and inclusive decision-making proposal) and we have required some clarification about it. Also, we do not understand well what is referred with the “kind” of this initiative or what “kind” of initiative would be of the City Hall interest

In any case, we sincerely appreciate his attention

Now our options for a Congress venue are dependent on to retake the contact with Madrid City Hall next year, as they suggested, or we could think of another place. It could also be a Virtual Congress.

 

Today we would like to go back to the idea of freedom we talked about in our previous post, namely, about economic freedom which usually refers to the free market.

According to our Master Mo, among the world governance (human unity) features are consequentialism –we value everything according to its effects, and utilitarianism –we value each thing, object or activity according to its use, benefit. This utilitarianism is also a main piece of theory of the modern liberal democracies.

However, as Amartya Sen points out in his Introduction to Rationality and Freedom, referring to Utilitarianism:

“But what exactly is utility-maximizing behavior? It is the same as maximizing behavior in general (without any restriction as to what is to be maximized), or is it the maximization of the fulfillment of one´s self-interest in particular? That distinction is lost in a large part of modern economics….” (Harvard University Press, 2002, page 26)

Let’s try to see this clearly. Utility-maximizing does not ‘distinguish’ between ‘general interest’ and ‘one´s self-interest in particular’ at one point; if you earn more, accumulate more, the state obtains more from you via taxes, resources, etc. There is no problem here and this is the concept of the modern economy (If you just change the word rationality by nationality you will read it clearer –it actually happens to me since I cannot see well near). Therefore, our current economic questions are ¿how to create jobs? Which is the same as questioning ¿Where can we (the state) invest to be more competitive? What could be our monopoly, talent, innovation, cheap workforce..?

Further than this, however, the ‘utility maximizing’ concept breaks up and indeed makes some distinction or is no longer harmonious when it deals, at once side, about exploiting a person paying her as less as possible while maximizing her utility, which is of ‘general interest’ and, at the other side, ‘maximization of the fulfillment of one´s self-interest in particular’ (to be pretty, for instance), this is personal interest, ‘yours’, ‘mine’, ‘her’, the interest of the real people.

Obviously, those different interests are not confronting each other in a ‘dialectical’ struggle; definitely and without any doubt ‘one´s self-interest’ is subordinated to the ‘general interest’ as it is shown by the vital fact that it is not that you want to eat but that you have to eat to go on living and you can only eat if you are first integrated in the ‘utility-maximizing’ system. Those who already have enough to eat, some eat a lot and some, those who can go on eating with their savings for a while without working, are motivated with new needs or desires, for instance, a car which, even if it could be substituted by public transport, it ‘maximizes self-interest’ as it does a luxurious perfume, etc.

Here we have that this ‘maximizing of self-interest’, consumption, is also ‘utility-maximizing behavior’. I will tell you here an anecdote. I have asked my mother what does she need or wish for a Christmas present. She says that sneakers because the sneakers we gave her last year she does not dare to use new for kitchen works. Oh my friend, I am afraid now that I will not be able to find a present for my mother; I am looking in every shop and I cannot find old sneakers.

There is not a real social contract, just maybe a representation, theater, even cirque, because society origin is the state, the armed unit, and also state prevalence is above society and so its strategic relationship with other states. This is manifested in all aspect, just we need to pay some attention to it or lift the veil because we are not told the whole picture.

I have the impression that Fatalism has substituted human evil nature as explanation or cause of the scourge humans are permanently experiencing, like misery, exploitation, perfidy, and war. This replacement might have been caused in view of a great majority of people sacrificed and resigned to be submitted and exploited long and intensive journeys just for being able to lodge somewhere and to eat so that actually they are allowed to go on living. This picture probably prevents the added scourge of qualifying people´s nature as ‘evil’, it would be too shameless, so that we have got the Fatalism of the new Illustration, legitimating Despotism as the old one (and as Confucianism did).

Despotism, which according to very alarming indicators, is vertiginously leading us all to collapse by ruthless exploiting the people not only as tools but also as, supposedly, insatiable and relentless consumers. A Despotism legitimated by a scientific Fatalism, as exposed by Steven Pinker, a Harvard professor and author of Enlightment Now (2018). Pinker deals in that book first page with the world’s evil according to a Fatalism based in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, called Entropy. It justifies the irrational or violent characters of all human relationships as the Mother Nature way to avoid the natural tendency to inactivity. Once the possibility of freedom eliminated by this Fatalism, Pinker expends the whole book claiming Enlightment´s or Illustration´s achievements, we could name them also Historical merits, this is; an always more scientific manipulation, reduced to everything goes better (but ourselves).

Indeed, as much in China as in the West, manipulation or exploitation of the people has become more explicit and intensive than before since the state uses scientific progress at its service. Equipped by the most modern technologies of all kinds; psychological or induced motivation, along with sophisticated baits, doping or directly by cameras control, all transactions registration, localization, etc. all possible surveillance at service of the state security. Security is indeed the supreme interest of the state and its people, but it is not the ‘one´s self-interest in particular’ the interest of the real people, of persons as you, me, she, everybody for whom, obviously, is of more interest a shared security system.

At the same time, the system falls apart; a crack grows in the state monopoly on information since globalization (different countries people can actually interact, live peacefully together) and the web which have generated or facilitated the fake news, mainly those funded by foreign states, or just no official news, as in former communist countries, for instance, in China some decades ago when every information outside the propaganda frame was qualified of “pornography”. HUM is located in this area. Fake news, pornography? Please, decide for yourself.

Why we are not sharing security? It is clear that our main source of insecurity is originated from the (around 200) armed units in the world, the states aggressions against each other. Therefore, the key and disruptive word or consign for us (those supporting inclusive decision making or human unity), is that used by Mozi, “universality, inclusivity without exclusion, simultaneity…” As you like to put it. Everybody understands the meaning of shared security so that such a claim transcends countries and becomes binding for all of them. Thus they will be deprived from sovereignty or their right to destroy –and aiming at it.

Once on this stage, where we all share security and, therefore, we do not harm each other, will Entropy effects start leading us to inactivity? I do not think so, we have a lot to do, as cleaning and embellishing our environment which is much, better our bodies to be more loved which is not little, and expand in the cosmos as it suits.

Regarding economic freedom, indeed everybody has the right to eat, everybody has the right to lodge, every person in the world has the right to go on living with her material conditions of subsistence ensured without dependency from her work because we know that dependency has nothing to do with justice (freedom) but it is a way of violent submission. Those mentioned above are the right to live together, call them HHRR if you like, but remember there is no right without freedom first and there is no freedom without universally sharing security.

All the same, we all will work, contribute to society, but just voluntarily, freely, and this is if only we agree with other initiative aims, the common cause we will add our will, our effort, and our work to, a Utilitarianism without contradictions because it does not any longer go about doing anything to buy food, it simply lines up universal and personal interest. ¿Any problem?

THE RIGHT TO BE FREE

THE RIGHT TO BE FREE
II HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM (AT THE 71TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS DECLARATION)
HUMAN UNITY MOVEMENT, HUM, SPEECH BY MANUEL HERRANZ

INTRODUCTION

Dear friends, thank you very much for your presence. Many thanks to the Rioja Center for organizing the event and also my deep appreciation to the distinguished speakers: Mr. Joaquín Acuña, president of Peace and Cooperation, Mr. Emilio Ginés, of the UN Committee for Torture Prevention and Mr. Enrique Gaspar of the Instituto Seda España.

Human Unity Movement, HUM, whose sole purpose is to promote and achieve human unity and inclusive and joint human decision making, wants to claim on this day a new and most needed human right: The right to freedom.

PRAISE OF THE RIGHT TO BE FREE

The right to be free shall be the first human right because, without it, if others decide for us we cannot even agree with it, even if we would like to since we don’t have the right to agree or to disagree.

And even more important; without the right to freedom we are not responsible nor can we ask for responsibilities to anyone.

WE UNDERSTAND WHY THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM HAS BEEN FORBIDDEN UNTIL NOW

Until now the right to freedom was not possible because the world and its inhabitants were unknown and, therefore, inclusive decision making and universal cooperation were not viable. Although the expression ‘more inclusive’ is often heard, in the real world the only alternative to exclusion or partiality is inclusion or universality and there is no intermediate point between inclusion and exclusion or partiality and universality.

Exclusive, partial, sovereign decision necessarily causes contradiction and confrontation between those who are mutually excluded. This circumstance brings about that defense is the greatest need and priority and therefore societies were necessarily organized as command chains, as hierarchical or pyramidal systems and this is, precisely, the way and form of denying personal right to freedom.

WE NEED THE RIGHT TO BE FREE

Today all human are connected, all humans are actually living together and we have the conditions for inclusive and joint decision-making, but we also find out that the current obstacle to peace, harmony and common well-being –those being the consequences of inclusive, join decision making or human unity- is that we do not have the right to freedom.

– The current situation:

Given that without the right to freedom, current rights are enforced by violence, their implementation can always and only correspond to the strongest party, so that the result of the application of human rights is not the fairest or most human but that one according to the interests of the strongest state.

Worse; human rights implementation is just adding evil to evil. Once some human rights are not implemented or are violated, the way of dealing with those cases is just punishment, destruction.

Besides, law is no human. It does not see what any human eye sees; this is a bad intention. The law does not judge on armies and weapons production and development, or on international blockages, or on provocations or threats, and in general, all strategic decisions meant to dominate the other, to put the other party at mercy by whatever means, either by threat or by deprivation.

FREEDOM NOW

The reason why we are claiming the right to freedom is to be able to unite, to set a system of join and inclusive decision making so that consequently we will not produce or undertake for damaging ourselves and/or violate humans rights.

Also, inclusive, universal decision making will no longer be conditioned by the need and priorities generated by the parties’ confrontation relationship. Inclusive decisions will be meant only for human benefit and well-being of each and every one of us, thus including the true implementation of all other human rights.

Today we have within reach the possibility of peace and harmony, the problem turns out to be now that we have no personal freedom, we are constrained to positive law, the right subordinated to the state, the right subordinated to partiality so that we are limited, we can only choose what refers to our part, which unavoidably is discord, confrontation, and war and we are not allowed to be concerned about humanity we are already living together with and we are able to make peace and cooperate with -this is really a scandalous abuse.

– This is not an abstraction; the questions posed by the state to the people are constrained to its borders and its purposes, those emitted by its communicators, its media, and its televisions. The public sphere is limited to that frame preventing humanity in us, prevent human feelings from its free and natural flow. Not only are the questions rigged but also the answers.

REFERENCES

We, those supporting human unity or joint and inclusive decision making, are followers of an ancient Chinese sage, Mozi, who was already promoting human unity, universal love, 25 centuries ago. He would say: “If you love someone, it does not mean that you love all people. However, if you do not love someone it does actually mean that you do not love anybody because in this way you are forcing all people to take sides: your side or his side…”

Thus, when we have the right to freedom we are going to take care of each other because that is certainly our most beautiful and finest natural disposition, that is why this same philosopher, Mozi, also continually said that human union was Universal Love and that it was Heaven’s Will which had arranged it that way, in spite of opposite ideologies talking about evil in human nature and thus justifying the chains.

– Chains of Zeus rule on humans we have lived imprisoned with so far, as ancient Greeks put it. Indeed, Greeks were well aware of the terrible inhumanity in which we all live in, pushed or forced to fight and kill each other, but now we can finally overthrow Zeus rule on us and set up the human rule on Earth and in Cosmos as was foresaid and announced to men by Prometheus.

BE FREE

Well, dear friend, thank you for your attention to my talk. Obviously, what I said was a joke. How can be there a right to freedom? That makes no sense because the law is given to you by the government or authority to which you are precisely a subject so that claiming the right to freedom to somebody else is an actual contradiction.

Indeed, freedom can´t be but a personal decision. It is about assuming personal sovereignty the actual way to become free and our human-unity movement is made of free people because only in this way we can propose human unity to each other, without nationalities discrimination, specifically supporting the Human Unity Congress.

How can people refuse to be free? Once we invite people to be free, everybody will join and cooperate with us, each person from her current political, social position; the poor and the rich, those from below and those from above in the current command chain, those on the left and those on the right, those from the north and those from the south, we are all the same, all good people, able to understand, willing to cooperate for human unity, just many do not know about that freedom is possible now. Another thought you might have is wrong, I assure you. As Mozi well says: it is the Will of Heaven, it is arranged this way: all´s interest is precisely the interest of each one of us.

Now you can be free!

Enjoy!

Manuel Herranz
December 9, 2019

PLEASE, SUPPORT PEACE

PLEASE, SUPPORT PEACE

Dear and excellent friend,

I am Manuel Herranz, president of the transparent and non-profit NGO, Human Unity Movement, HUM, and I addressing you requesting your support for the most ambitious and hopeful project.

According to our understanding, we are in a position to make a decisive change towards a human world, where people move from discord and competition (to death) to a world of harmony and cooperation. A change made possible only in our time.

 

Indeed, one of the most relevant circumstances of our present is globalization, a crucial human condition already dreamed by many wise and / or independent thinkers.

They became aware that discord, war, and human misery is due to exclusive or partial decision taking.

Exclusive or partial decision-taking necessarily leads to contradiction and confrontation among the parts and when the world was unconnected and unknown there was no way out of it because the alternative to partiality and exclusion is universality and inclusion and there is no an intermediate point.

These same thinkers knew that peace – which is the common cause – depends on inclusive decision-making because the logical consequence of inclusive decision-making is the end of entrepreneurship for harming -which would be as absurd as harming oneself.

With inclusive decision taking the aim of harming each other is fully replaced by the cooperation of all for common benefit.

Once we eliminate the purpose of harming, which obviously needs to be hidden or disguised in front of the others, we will be able to use common sense with transparency and without discrimination for the management of our relationships based on common objectives of cooperation.

 

In order to launch inclusive decision-making, we are convening a World Congress in Fall of 2020 to be broadcast live and open to everyone in the world. We propose to organize it into 6 working groups: Development, Security, Technologies (in turn divided into Food, Health, Environment, Energy, Mobility and Infrastructure), Women and Communication.

We will invite to participate in the Congress the best experts in those fields from around the world in order to produce consensus proposals for establishing and organizing coexistence and coordinate joint human common development. Then we will ask for support to those proposals from all people in the world regardless of their nationality and, therefore, those consensus proposals are of binding nature for the states

 

And now hereby we are requesting your support and cooperation for the convening and holding of the Congress because we expect your reflection and understanding of this proposal to be outside the framework of politics, nationalities. The point where we all can meet and forge a new way of dealing with ourselves, on the basis of common sense is not the ideologies, but the rationality we all share.

We all are human beings, we all have bodies, needs, and conditionings that we can understand by putting ourselves in the place of the other regardless of the country in which we were born or the ideological figurations we have been indoctrinated with.

 

An immediate and principal effect of the World Congress is the recycling of the world current investment in defense, meant against each other, for the benefit and well-being of humanity -this is the initial humanity asset because only human unity makes this investment for harming redundant and also, we, all the people, are the cause and guarantee of this investment becoming redundant, useless.

With human inclusive decision-making, we also eliminate the ‘strategic or confrontational need and priority’ of partial decision-taking, which subordinates and undermines people’s needs, desires and interests and causes exploitation, abuse, and discrimination. Inclusive decision-taking lets us all decide, plan and act only for humanity, people´s benefit.

That ‘strategic or confrontational need and priority’ of partial decision-taking also causes overexploitation of the planet and its natural resources, fast and uncontrollable environmental deterioration, fauna and flora extinction and prevents us from acting properly against climate change. Right decision making in response to these challenges is possible only if it is inclusive.

 

I thank you very much for your consideration and stay at your disposal so that no aspect remains without clarity and transparency and also looking forward to your cooperation in order to convene and organize the Congress.

Thank you very much for your attention

Very cordially

Manuel Herranz Martín
Presidente
HUM – Human Unity Movement
C/ Puerto Serrano, 32 5ºA
28045 Madrid
Mobile:+34 656339490
Phone: +34 91 031 40 10
www.human-unity.org
manuelhm@human-unity.org

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