The fundamental, negative rights such as free speech, privacy, and property rights are the foundation of a free and democratic society, and it is important to distinguish them from positive rights which often require government intervention or another individual's resources. Human rights activists should prioritize protecting these negative rights as they are the table on which other rights and liberties rest.
The speaker shares a personal experience of being arbitrarily arrested in a non-western country and discusses the lack of transparency and rule of law in such societies.
The speaker discusses their experience working in international development on corporate human rights violations and how corporations influence the types of human rights issues that get talked about, including the obesity epidemic.
The podcast discusses Milton Mayer's book "They Thought They Were Free" and his interviews with ten Nazi friends. Mayer believed in human rights and was bewildered by the citizens of Weimar Republic who gave up their rights so readily in the face of state oppression.
Speaking out about human rights is important, but when it becomes a frenzy, it can lead to misguided foreign interventions. Discussing these issues can create a check on the perpetrators, but we must also be realistic about fixing problems like Afghanistan.
In this podcast, the speaker argues against prioritizing equity over human rights and shares his concerns that this approach could lead society down a dangerous path towards authoritarianism.
