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Justice

Today is not merely justice itself, but the idea of justice that is under attack. The assault on vulnerable, fragile sections of society is at once so complete, so cruel and so clever - all encompassing and yet specifically targeted, blatantly brutal and yet unbelievably insidious - that its sheer audacity has eroded our definition of justice. It has forced us to lower our sights and curtail our expectations.Even among the well-intentioned, the expansive, magnificent concept of justice is gradually being substituted with the reduced, far more fragile discourse of human rights. If you think about it, this is an alarming shift of paradigm. The difference is that notions of equality, of parity, have been pried loose and eased out of the equation. It's a process of attrition. Almost unconsciously we begin to think of justice for the rich and human rights for the poor. Justice for the corporate world, human rights for its victims. Justice for Americans, human rights for Afghans and Iraqis. Justice for the Indian upper casts, human rights for Dalits and Adivasis (if that). Justice for white Australians, human rights for aboriginals and immigrants (most time, not even that. Arundhati Roy, Peace and the new corporate liberation technology (in An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire)

justice.txt · Last modified: 2015/06/30 13:04 by emily