The Right To Food

[babylonsister]

http://crooksandliars.com/cernig/right-food

The Right To Food
By Cernig Wednesday Dec 24, 2008 5:00pm




Via my Newshoggers colleague Anderson comes this:

By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, the Committee also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population. (See Annex III.)

The Bush administration, speaking for the U.S.A., therefore must consider it tolerable that 6 million children die every year - children who could be fed if we weren't wasting billions on stealth fighters, littoral combat boondoggles and non-effective defense against non-existant ballistic missiles from Iran.

Just so you get that, here it is again:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: United States.

Merry Christmas to the World from Dubya and his chums - who are currently geeing up the notion that an increase in defense spending (say, to 4% of GDP) would be a great economic stimulus package! Actually, it wouldn't - defense spending "drains resources from the productive economy" and costs more jobs in other sectors than it creates.

How much better an economic stimulus - both for America and the world - it would be to mobilize American might for good instead of destruction, Dubya and his fellow travellers remain silent upon.

[Orrex]

1. Six million per day?!?!? WTF?!?

:wow:

[babylonsister]

6. No, 6 million per year. The author messed that up, though he got

it right towards the beginning of the article.

[undeterred]

10. "more than 6 million children still died every year"

[wundermaus]

2. The single greatest evil in the world is greed...

and it's manifestations are poverty, hunger, and fear.

[The Inquisitive]

3. 6 million a day is bull

6,000,000x365=2,190,000,000

[babylonsister]

5. THAT is your comment on this story? Are you American?

You are right; the second time the author typed his figures he made a mistake, and I've edited it. But still, is that the only thing about this that bugged you? Jeeze.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/gashc3941.doc.ht...

General Assembly
GA/SHC/3941
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Sixty-third General Assembly

snip//

By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, the Committee also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population. (See Annex III.)

[Cerridwen]

7. "per year." The article quoted clearly states "per year" twice.

Yes, you are correct, your response was bull.

[babylonsister]

8. I edited the second one; it did say 'per day'. nt

[Cerridwen]

9. The article linked in the article you quoted doesn't. It also notes:

By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, the Committee also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population. (See Annex III.) (empahsis added)

Planet-wide, we can produce enough food to feed the current world-wide population - twice over. Yet, people are malnourished, starving to death and dying of "hunger-related illness."

Amazing what I can find when I read articles in the links people provide.

[TripleKatPad]

4. I hope this is my last post hanging my head in shame

I apologize to the rest of the world. The people of the U.S., on the whole, abhor this man and his "principles." Please forgive us and know we will be doing better starting in January.

[dflprincess]

14. Once upon a time the U.S. had a president who said that all people had a right to freedom from want

In fact, the freedoms listed in FDR's "four freedoms" speech were incorporated into the U.N.'s preamble.

Maybe we'll have that again.

[Cerridwen]

11. Also found in source document...twice as many girls die, twice as many women

suffer from malnutrion; based on estimates.

By the terms of the text, the Assembly would express concern that, in many countries, girls were twice as likely as boys to die from malnutrition and childhood diseases and that twice as many women as men were estimated to suffer from malnutrition. Accordingly, it would have the Assembly encourage all States to take action to address gender inequality and discrimination against women, including through measures to ensure that women had equal access to resources, including income, land and water, so as to enable them to feed themselves and their families. By further terms of the draft, the Assembly would urge Member States to promote and protect the rights of indigenous people, who have expressed in different forums their deep concerns over the obstacles and challenges faced in the full enjoyment of the right to food.

After the vote, the representative of the United States said he was unable to support the text because he believed the attainment of the right to adequate food was a goal that should be realized progressively. In his view, the draft contained inaccurate textual descriptions of underlying rights.

The Committee also approved a draft resolution on the rights of the child by a vote of 180 in favour to one against ( United States), with no abstentions. Among other things, that omnibus text would call upon States to create an environment conducive to the well-being of all children, including by strengthening international cooperation in regard to the eradication of poverty, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and the right to food.

"...eradication of poverty, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and the right to food." Yep, I can see why the US wouldn't like that bit 'o work.

edit to add link to http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/gashc3941.doc.htm">source document

[Bigmack]

12. Important difference....

Dems generally believe that people have a right to food.

Repubs generally believe that people have a right to buy food.

Big difference.

According to most Repubs, if you can't afford to buy it at the world price... well.... you just should have been more careful who your parents and grandparents were. There are consequences to bad choices, you know.

[Obamanaut]

13. Another DU thread linked to the UN press release. I sent the link

and some excerpts to my email list, which includes many relatives who are members of some large churches. I got one response that said roughly "my church is doing it's fair share" so I then asked "is there a magic formula that says church A gives amount X and that makes it all fine?" No response to that as yet.

Link to other DU thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4710330

In my county approx (according to school board figures) 75% of the school kids are either on free or reduced price meals. I imagine that when there is no school, there is limited food at home.

[yardwork]

23. I guess they didn't feel moved to express their opinion of our country's lone abstention?

It is sickening, isn't it?

[natrat]

15. if hardcore depression hits the US these people will happily let people starve

[bemildred]

16. Hey, if people had enough food, they'd start to like it.

And you'd never be able to take it away again.

[polly7]

17. We, the 'haves' have taken from many of these people the ability

to feed themselves with unfair trade practises and economic terrorism. Imo. I look at these pictures and they literally make my stomach sick. I've been sponsoring children monthly for nearly twenty years but have no doubt most of it has probably not made it anywhere near where it's been needed most, despite what they say. Feel so helpless.

[formercia]

18. Food as a weapon

along with cluster bombs, land mines and Depleted Uranium.

The US can't be limiting its options by voting against them.

[firedupdem]

19. Shameful...Horrible....I don't know how Bush and Co. sleeps at

night. My God, sad.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. And that was the same vote on a resolution to protect children.

Promotion, Protection of Children’s Rights

The Committee’s report on promotion and protection of the rights of children (document A/63/426) contains a draft resolution on the rights of the child, approved by a recorded vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions, on 24 November, which would have the Assembly -- among other things -- call upon States to create an environment conducive to the well-being of all children, including by strengthening international cooperation in regard to the eradication of poverty, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and the right to food.

--(Press Release GA/SHC/3941)

[Chulanowa]

21. It makes me queasy...

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: United States.

That really... really, REALLY hurts

[yardwork]

22. Unbelievable level of criminality and stupidity.

[elehhhhna]

24. Education (esp. for women), birth control, and renewable resource farming.

These are the keys to the overpop./food crisis, imo.

[wildflowergardener]

25. Horrible, but

Horrible, but it makes me feel a lot better to know it won't be this way for long - that we won't have to be embarrassed of how our country votes for long.

Meg