The speaker argues that believing in basic human rights for all is not a luxury belief, but rather a fundamental value that should be upheld. They also discuss the complexities of international trade and the challenge of balancing economic interests with ethical considerations.
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 Human Rights Foundation chairman, Vaslav Havel, a notable Czech democracy activist, and first democratically elected leader of the Czech Republic, leads discussions on the development of human rights advocacy strategies in the fight against dictatorial regimes.
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.
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.
