Op-Ed Contributors
Fair share of social resources
By Yao Yang (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-18 07:45
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An equal distribution of human rights will promote rather than encumber economic development
The ultimate goal of socialism is complete liberation of man. For that, governments should undoubtedly protect the basic human rights of citizens and their equal access to national wealth. In this sense, social justice should be judged by equal distribution of public services and human rights among all members of society.
Human rights refer to the basic rights of human liberty, such as the rights to say and to know. Universality and equality are the two fundamental characteristics shared by these rights. As one of the prerequisites of the ultimate socialist goal and citizens' moral identification with society, an equal distribution of human rights will promote, rather than encumber, economic development.
The Chinese government has made considerable progress in respecting and protecting citizens' rights in the past 30 years, which is one of the main factors sustaining China's long-term stable economic development. A fair allocation of public services directly related to personal development is a necessary condition to protect human rights, among which, education resources and social security are the foremost fields concerning people's livelihoods.
The government should shoulder the responsibility of providing quality education for its people, especially for the poor rural population. Decision-makers should attach more significance to guaranteeing every citizen equal opportunities to receive the best education possible. More investment should go to education, especially for the inland regions.
The social security system consists of pensions, medical insurance, unemployment insurance and other social welfare programs. Social security is not the government's almsgiving to the public, or a lucrative turf nourishing corrupt bureaucrats, it is a legally binding obligation of the government to respect people's dignity, as well as to preserve their basic capabilities, i.e., their functional abilities to pursue worthy goals on their own. The growth of national wealth should bring benefits to all, at the least it should increase the basic capabilities of every person.