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What kind of "right" is it if not a human right? It can't be an animal right, as animals other than humans don't use the Internet, in general.

clamprecht 12y ago
It could be a Constitutional right, or a statutory right. For example, you have a right to a keep and bear arms (in the US), but that is a Constitutional right, not a human right.
- SwellJoe 12y ago
  The Constitution defines what the founding fathers of the US considered human rights. I suppose statutory rights could fall under the category of "not human rights". And, I guess some folks consider some statutory rights to be directly contradictory to human rights (water shutoffs in Detroit or foreclosures of homes during the banking crisis, for example). What kind of right do you believe internet use would fall under?
  - clamprecht 12y ago
    In Reno vs. ACLU (1997), the US Supreme Court ruled that the Internet deserved free speech protection under the First Amendment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_v._American_Civil_Liberties_Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_v._American_Civil_Libertie... Some have argued that prohibiting Internet access to an otherwise free person (not a prisoner) is cruel and unusual punishment. In 1992 that was laughable. In 2015, it's much less laughable.
vacri 12y ago
A 'human right' is a right that every human on the globe should possess. The right to vote in a democracy is not a human right - only citizens of that democracy can vote in it. It's reasonable to say that French citizens have the right to vote in France, but not that the entire globes should, for example.
- Frondo 12y ago
  I'm not sure if you're trying to play language games to be obtuse for some reason, but the right to be involved in one's government absolutely is a human right. To say "the right to vote in a democracy is not a human right" is arguably not false, just going on narrow definitions of "vote" and "democracy," but the right to be involved in one's government? Oh yes. Just because it is denied so many does not mean it is not still a human right.
  - vacri 12y ago
    ... you're saying that people who aren't citizens of France should be able to vote in French governmental elections? You're opposing "only citizens of that democracy can vote in it"? Why is it a human right for a Russian or a Fijian or an Argentinian to vote in the French elections? I can't make out what your problem with my comment is.
    - Frondo 12y ago
      Wait, so you're saying... you don't disagree that all people have a human right to participate in their own government? That you only don't think all people should have the right to participate in all governments?
      - vacri 12y ago
        Eh? I didn't say not in their own government. I said that people who are not French citizens can't vote in the French elections, and it's not a violation of human rights that they can't. I didn't say that Russians shouldn't be able to vote in Russia. Stop strawmanning my words. Edit: to be clearer - being able to get involved in your own government is a human right. Being able to vote in the French elections is a civil right, reserved to French citizens. All cats are animals, but not all animals are cats.
        Frondo 12y ago
        The thing is, I can't even understand where the claim that "being able to participate in other people's government is a human right" is coming from. I think we're saying the same thing, but somehow we got our signals mixed up.

clamprecht 12y ago

It could be a Constitutional right, or a statutory right. For example, you have a right to a keep and bear arms (in the US), but that is a Constitutional right, not a human right.

SwellJoe 12y ago
The Constitution defines what the founding fathers of the US considered human rights. I suppose statutory rights could fall under the category of "not human rights". And, I guess some folks consider some statutory rights to be directly contradictory to human rights (water shutoffs in Detroit or foreclosures of homes during the banking crisis, for example). What kind of right do you believe internet use would fall under?
- clamprecht 12y ago
  In Reno vs. ACLU (1997), the US Supreme Court ruled that the Internet deserved free speech protection under the First Amendment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_v._American_Civil_Liberties_Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_v._American_Civil_Libertie... Some have argued that prohibiting Internet access to an otherwise free person (not a prisoner) is cruel and unusual punishment. In 1992 that was laughable. In 2015, it's much less laughable.

vacri 12y ago

A 'human right' is a right that every human on the globe should possess. The right to vote in a democracy is not a human right - only citizens of that democracy can vote in it. It's reasonable to say that French citizens have the right to vote in France, but not that the entire globes should, for example.

Frondo 12y ago
I'm not sure if you're trying to play language games to be obtuse for some reason, but the right to be involved in one's government absolutely is a human right. To say "the right to vote in a democracy is not a human right" is arguably not false, just going on narrow definitions of "vote" and "democracy," but the right to be involved in one's government? Oh yes. Just because it is denied so many does not mean it is not still a human right.
- vacri 12y ago
  ... you're saying that people who aren't citizens of France should be able to vote in French governmental elections? You're opposing "only citizens of that democracy can vote in it"? Why is it a human right for a Russian or a Fijian or an Argentinian to vote in the French elections? I can't make out what your problem with my comment is.
  - Frondo 12y ago
    Wait, so you're saying... you don't disagree that all people have a human right to participate in their own government? That you only don't think all people should have the right to participate in all governments?
    - vacri 12y ago
      Eh? I didn't say not in their own government. I said that people who are not French citizens can't vote in the French elections, and it's not a violation of human rights that they can't. I didn't say that Russians shouldn't be able to vote in Russia. Stop strawmanning my words. Edit: to be clearer - being able to get involved in your own government is a human right. Being able to vote in the French elections is a civil right, reserved to French citizens. All cats are animals, but not all animals are cats.
      - Frondo 12y ago
        The thing is, I can't even understand where the claim that "being able to participate in other people's government is a human right" is coming from. I think we're saying the same thing, but somehow we got our signals mixed up.