
The case of human rights in the move towards economic development is a curious thing. It is generally perceived, regardless of academic definitions, that democracy is the political system where human rights are basically recognized, promoted, and protected. On the other hand, communism and socialism are the political systems that essentially do not prioritize individual human rights over the rights of the state. All these ideologies, however, have the common desired end result of general progress even if they belong to opposite ends of the political spectrum.
Operationally, the evaluation of these ideologies has rested on the belief that a more socially (centrally) controlled economy that does not take into account each and every possible human right will move much faster. This is for the reason that expediency in progress, translated into political and economic choices and decisions, rests in the hands of only a few.
Tags: · Communism, development, human rights, Socialism, United Nations Development Program