People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

What are human rights?

Many answers came to mind.

A more official definition of human rights states: Human rights are inherent rights of all people, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the rights to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, access to work and education, and many other rights. Everyone has the right to enjoy these rights without discrimination.

But such a simple explanation of the term is actually meaningless.

The Gallo-American Empire, which first proposed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, has now turned to dust in history. For a considerable period of time, the name was locked away in the archives of Gallo-American history research, placed alongside historical materials that could only decay with time, receiving no attention and being mentioned by anyone.

In fact, compared to "human rights," the "humanitarianism" that Ernst proposed in his speech a year ago is far more commendable—not because humanitarianism is any progress over human rights, but because humanitarianism guarantees basic human rights in itself. It's just that it is mentioned more often and is therefore known to more people.

Things that are not known to others are meaningless.

Just like the law, only when more people know where the legal red lines are will there be fewer illegal acts. The vast majority of crimes are not committed knowingly because of lawlessness, but because of ignorance of the law. The same principle applies to human rights. Only when more people know about them and are willing to believe in them can human rights themselves move beyond books and words and have real significance on this land.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Hammer gave a simple answer to Ernst's question:

"Human rights are justice."

Ernst was slightly taken aback.

Clearly, this answer was beyond his expectations.

He had expected Himer to give him a standard, Wikipedia-like answer, or to explain the meaning of human rights using concrete realities such as having enough to eat and wear and being able to survive.

But she chose to use one concept to explain another. And, it seems, makes some sense.

"Justice is justice because it is a moral principle recognized by the public. Human rights are human rights because they are rights that are universally applicable to the broadest masses of people."

“A simple thing, as long as it meets the needs of the vast majority of the people and is a right enjoyed by the vast majority of the people, then it will naturally be recognized by the public as a moral principle and will naturally become a basic human right.”

Himer slowly explained his thoughts.

"Take eating as an example. Everyone on this land needs to eat. Without eating, they cannot survive. Therefore, eating has become a right that the vast majority of people should enjoy. The government, society, and the country should do their utmost to guarantee this right. Thus, it has become a basic human right."

"Because human rights are constantly evolving, initially, the vast majority of people only hoped not to starve to death, and not starving to death was the most basic human right. Later, as we developed, food and clothing became the basic human right. And then, perhaps one day, everyone can live in luxury, which will become the human right recognized by people of that era!"

As Hemer spoke, a hint of longing and anticipation flashed in his eyes.

Clearly, the society she described is a distant dream. Forget about everyone living in luxury; even the most basic human right—not starving—is not guaranteed for countless people on this land.

Ernst still felt power in Hammer's words.

She has indeed grown a lot. Her answer completely exceeded Ernst's expectations, and her understanding almost left Ernst speechless.

Yes, isn't this exactly what we're trying our best to protect?

For Ernst's previous life, being fed and clothed was the greatest human right. This "most basic human right" seemed pitifully insignificant compared to the various other human rights add-ons that the neighboring lighthouse was clamoring for. But the state endowed it with a huge base.

Anything multiplied by 1.4 billion will yield an astonishing result.

Without a foundation, any tall building built on top will eventually collapse.

A slight sense of emotion stirred within him, and Ernst knew that he probably wouldn't need to repeat the speech he had prepared in advance.

Because Himer has already mentioned the concepts of "the vast majority" and "the broadest," and the role that the state, society, and government play in human rights.

Where there is a vast majority, there will be a very small minority; where there is the broadest, there will be the narrowest.

Ernst summoned Hammer for two reasons. The first was to tell Hammer something.

Casting aside illusions, the human rights we speak of are undoubtedly backed by power itself, and their weight is still measured by interests and guaranteed by strength. This also means that in practice, it will certainly not be the concept of "including everyone" as defined in the definition, and there will inevitably be "selections and trade-offs."

Hamer already understood this principle.

This wasn't the first time Ernst had been surprised. Terra's humans were not lacking in geniuses; talents like Nastya and Christensen had amazed Ernst countless times. Perhaps the only truly surprising thing was that most of them came from Columbia.

That country is indeed full of talented people.

Ernst paused for a moment, nodded, and unusually refrained from adding anything, directly acknowledging someone's statement.

The deeper content involves philosophy, and Himer's ability to grasp this is sufficient for her to be in this position.

Ernst only needed to remind her of one thing:

"Hermer, human rights are a double-edged sword."

“I have been following the outstanding achievements of the Science Frontier Organization in Trimont and throughout Colombia, and Celia has praised your indelible contributions to this field to me on many occasions. Therefore, when I decided to establish the Terra International Human Rights Council under the framework of the World Summit, you were the first person I thought of.”

“I think you are capable of this position, but at the same time I have some concerns.”

Ernst pursed his lips and spoke in a somewhat heavy tone.

“I worry that once you actually lead the frontiers of science to become the Terra International Human Rights Council, you’ll find that the body becomes…less human rights.”

This is a problem that cannot be avoided.

How different can the human rights situation in a mobile city be from that in a country? And how different is the human rights situation in a country compared to that across the entire land?

It's too big; no one can give a specific multiple. If we have to compare them, we can only say that they are almost worlds apart!

Human rights issues have arisen in Trimont. If Hermer leads the companies at the scientific frontier to negotiate, protest at the Trimont district government, organize donations and marches, and at most take some measures to rally other large companies to exert pressure, the problem can be easily resolved.

After all, in Tremont, Himer had the backing of Rhine Lab, a giant in the industry.

But what if it's Colombia that has human rights issues?

Himer and her "Scientific Frontiers" were destined to be somewhat powerless at this moment. After all, they were not an official organization, and the influence of a non-governmental organization is inherently limited, especially in a society like Terra where every mobile city is practically an isolated island kingdom.

At times like these, the influence that a "Science Frontier" composed of conscientious scientists, social activists, workers, and ordinary people can exert is negligible. Himer was able to make a name for himself with the "Science Frontier" in Columbia because of the backing of power, the support of Vice President Wilson, and the tacit approval of Mark Max.

But at this point, problems have already arisen.

Mark Max's situation is a special case and will not be considered. Will Vice President Wilson give Himer unlimited support?

The answer is, of course, no. Vice President Wilson will only support Hamer if it doesn't harm his own interests. If Hamer were to accuse Wilson of human rights violations tomorrow, he could turn on her faster than flipping a book! And Hamer and "Science Frontier," as an organization that relies on him to exert influence, are like eunuchs who depend on the emperor—they have no means of countermeasures and are incapable of doing so.

Their desire to act inevitably leads them to confront a traditional political art: compromise.

Compromise by criticizing "other people's human rights issues" that do not harm Wilson's interests.

Hemer and the others may not have encountered this situation yet, but it's only a matter of time.

This is one of the reasons why Ernst wanted to get them out.

Colombia is indeed vast, but for this bird of a feather, the World Summit could offer an even wider horizon!

That being said, joining the World Summit and becoming a full member would indeed free them from Colombia's constraints, but ultimately, the fundamental problems remain unchanged.

The only difference is that the obstacle hindering them has changed from Colombia to the World Summit.

Admittedly, as an international system bringing together Terran nations, the World Summit, due to the checks and balances of their interests, is indeed better in terms of basic fairness than Colombia itself, which is destined to favor Colombia. But this freedom is also a form of unfreedom.

for example.

She certainly doesn't need to worry that the Terra International Human Rights Council, having an office in Ursus, will stop it from interfering in Ursus's affairs.

But she will face a situation where, normally, people don't care about this issue at all, but when it comes to wrangling, she is pushed out and pulled in a tug-of-war, almost to the point of mental breakdown, being both criticized and praised.

To take it to an even more extreme level, she would have to face the possibility that in the future, a small chiefdom of Sargon might not submit to the rule of the Sargon king or pasha, but in fact, it would do a good job in ensuring the people's basic needs were met, or even better than the inhuman king. Yet, she would be forced to accuse them, wield the big stick of human rights, and become an accomplice in causing the small chiefdom to collapse, leaving all its people displaced and enslaved.

Even more extreme, there is the classic example of "everyone is equal, but you are not a person," which defines what it means to be a person.

"This is certainly the most extreme case, but it is also a possibility."

“I don’t want to deceive you with lies. In building this system, I hope that we, the cogs in the machine that is building the World Summit, can work together with each other and be honest.”

"Therefore, I've tried to inform you in advance of all the possible things that might happen, including risks and unpleasant situations. I hope you can make your own decision."

Ernst said seriously:

“Miss Himer, you are about to join what may be the largest bureaucracy on this land in the future. I don’t want you to regret your choice today in the future.”

Himer was stunned.

She used to be a scientist, and had only been the chairperson of the Science Frontiers board for less than six months. She had never thought about such a complex problem, nor had she anticipated such difficulties.

At the conference on the frontiers of science, she felt proud as she praised her colleagues' achievements. She realized that the task hadn't actually been that difficult; their path had been smooth, with almost no obstacles encountered.

But when Ernst dissected all of this and laid it out before her, she realized what a precarious path she was walking on!

On this path, so-called human rights are merely appendages of power and interests, weapons wielded by those in positions of authority, and "bullets" fired during mutual bickering and attacks. It can be anything, except what is explicitly defined in its name.

She could choose to decline the position and return to Tremont, continuing to lead "Science Frontiers" to prominence in that city. This would certainly be an easier path, and one that might still yield significant results. Tremont is also a major city; providing human rights services to millions, improving the lives of millions, and building it into the most renowned city of science, human rights, and civilization in the region would be a monumental achievement worthy of being recorded in history!

There is no distinction of high or low status among people; saving one person and saving an entire land are both acts of heroism. Ernst will not condescendingly blame Hamer for choosing to back down at this moment.

She wasn't a professional to begin with. It was she herself who, after much effort, found a humanoid creature... no, a person with aspirations in this field, and that's why they approached her, trying to drag her into this job cleaning latrines. It's only natural that she didn't want to get covered in excrement.

After all, if she chooses to accept it, then her description just now was only what Ernst could think of. Given the anthropomorphic nature of this land, Ernst had no doubt that they could come up with some awful things that Ernst had never seen in his two lifetimes! At that time, Himer would probably also be disgusted along with her!

Ernst watched Hamer, who was deep in thought, and waited quietly for her answer.

The competition on the field continued, and so did the struggle within Himer's heart.

After a long while, when the tea on the table had gone cold, and even Hinterlea, who was taking notes next to Ernst, began to lose focus, and Viviana, who was sitting on the sofa pretending to watch the game but actually eavesdropping, became engrossed, she finally spoke up:

"Thank you for your candor, Mr. Ernst."

"I just have one question."

What role will you play at the World Summit?

This is the first time anyone has asked Ernst this question.

Most people would assume that Ernst would be active at the World Summit as Prime Minister Scherrag, continuing to shine as the leader of a small country. But Hermer felt that Ernst, who had thought so much and almost dissected the essence of the World Summit system to him, would play a role that was definitely not as simple as just being an ordinary "part of the power".

In some ways, Himer was right.

He built this system himself, how could he just be a "guest" in it?

"I will serve as the Secretary-General of the World Summit, responsible for coordinating international affairs and related matters."

Himer blinked. She didn't quite understand the meaning of the term "secretary-general," and asked tentatively:

"So, you'll be the leader of this organization? You'll be my...boss?"

Ernst nodded: "You can think of it that way for now."

Himer gave a satisfied smile.

"That's no problem."

“It is an honor to work with you, Mr. Ernst. I trust you; you will wield this sword of 'me' in the right place, won't you?”

right?

Why do you Terrans all like to use these kinds of questions that put a lot of pressure on us?

When Defiance asked me if I would teach her, she asked, "Right?" When Vina asked me if I would protect her, she asked me, "Right?" Now you're asking me, "Right?"

Is this... right?

This feeling is like being pressed down on your back by a tiny rabbit with gravity of 10. Wait, no, my back hurts, my kidneys hurt!

A bead of sweat, a sign of resentment, rolled down Ernst's forehead. He gritted his teeth and nodded.

"I will do my best."

Hamer then opened his arms:

"Let's give each other a hug. Celebrate our future together, and have a great time working together!"

"A hug?" Hinterlea suddenly perked up and asked in surprise.

Miss Eagle Owl simply nodded and, without further ado, hugged the defenseless Cheese Snow Leopard.

"This is the Colombian way of greeting."

She spoke with such certainty that Hintelia couldn't tell if she was telling the truth for a moment, and could only stand there stunned, silently thinking:

Does Colombia have this kind of greeting? Why haven't I seen Horhajya do it?

Oh, no, she did seem to have wrapped her tail around the boss several times, is that the same thing?

Damn it, why doesn't Kazimierz have this kind of greeting! Otherwise, wouldn't I be able to...?

It's all Casimir's fault!

The innocent Casimir, unaware of what was happening, simply silently unleashed its cheers into the box's speakers, accompanied by the commentator's excited tone, loudly announcing:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us congratulate the winner of this semi-final! His amazing rain of light struck the enemy at the last second, and according to the judges' analysis, the final winner has been determined! He is—"

"Mr. Marner!"

Blown into the wall by a hand cannon, Marna, his body charred black, looked at Dario, who was also lying on the other side of the field, unable to get up, and coughed up a puff of black smoke before slowly forcing a smile.

Won.