Water’s not a human right, thanks to Canada

Just read that Canada maneuvered to ensure water wouldn’t be a basic human right at the UN. My first thought was: couldn’t Canada have just allowed it to become a human right, and then ignored it, as with all other rights? And then I realized that it is another element of abandoning hypocrisy, which the Harper regime seems particularly keen on: presenting the ugliest of Canada to ourselves and the world, as if to revel in it.


Just read that Canada maneuvered to ensure water wouldn’t be a basic human right at the UN. My first thought was: couldn’t Canada have just allowed it to become a human right, and then ignored it, as with all other rights? And then I realized that it is another element of abandoning hypocrisy, which the Harper regime seems particularly keen on: presenting the ugliest of Canada to ourselves and the world, as if to revel in it.

Between that, the various attacks on indigenous rights I’ve been reporting here, and trying to prevent Richard Falk from being Rapporteur to the UN on Israel/Palestine, Canada is truly moving from disgrace to disgrace.

Author: Justin Podur

Author of Siegebreakers. Ecology. Environmental Science. Political Science. Anti-imperialism. Political fiction.