Why the Earth Charter is a Really Bad Thing(tm)

This started life as a letter to the editor, but it seems appropriate here.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in sustainable development and personal simplicity. Our family is engaged in a project to rip out much of our lawn and replace it with native canyon plants. Our life is far simpler, less materialistic and more peaceful than most families we know. But I believe even more in individual liberty and the quaint values of the early American Republic, and the Earth Charter is flat out dangerous to those values.

The Earth Charter: Dangerous Document, Dangerous Movement

There's a document called the "Earth Charter" which some advocates are trying to introduce into schools and other programs for children, in the United States and elsewhere. Proponents laud the "Earth Charter" in glowing terms; the reality is far more sordid.

You might ask, what is the Earth Charter? Is it:

• A warm and fuzzy listing of noble sounding goals?
  
• An attempt to hijack the public schools and indoctrinate our children away from the American Founders' vision of liberty under law for all?
  
• A proposed international policy falsely claiming a popular mandate to override the independence of nations and the liberty of individuals?
  
• The "10 Commandments" of the neo-pagan religion of nature worship?
  
• All of the above?
  

All of the above, of course. Don't believe me? Then read the following Web links, written by authors and supporters of the Earth Charter and related organizations. Their own words show their agenda clearly.

And remember when reading these web sites that in the Orwellian world of international law, "reproductive health" means abortion, "responsible reproduction" means legal limits on family size, and "just distribution of wealth" means theft backed by force and murder (see Russia 1917-1990, Germany 1933-1945, Cambodia, China, and a score of other modern "utopias").

• Earth Charter (English)
  
• Ark of Hope
  
• Interview with Green Cross International President Mikhail Gorbachev
  
• Interview with Earth Charter Author Maurice Strong
  
• Green Cross International Position Paper for the Johannesburg Conference
  

Consider a few quotes:
Earth Charter, Section 7, Subsection e:
"Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible reproduction."


From Maurice Strong, author of the Earth Charter
"The real goal of the Earth Charter is that it will in fact become like the Ten Commandments, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."


From Green Cross International, an "NGO" (non-governmental organization, aka a lobbying group). These statements on Ethics and Education are from GCI's position paper at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held at Johannesburg beginning 26 August 2002.
"Ethics:
The World Summit should launch the negotiation process for a new global code of ethics to guide human behaviour and decision making related to sustainable development issues and to inspire a positive vision for the new Millenium. To this end, the Earth Charter is a document that embodies fundamental values and principles and should be considered as an efficient tool to diffuse ethical considerations to people and throughout Nations. Efforts should converge on the essential task of linking globalisation, sustainable development and ethics. Global environmental issues need to be clearly reframed in the context of a new Global Deal, in order to consider related questions of justice, poverty, exclusion, democracy, peace, security, values and human rights and in order to adopt a truly integrated approach to sustainable development. In this context, good governance consists of an essential step to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Education:
Environmental education elements should be included in education programmes during school years, as well as at higher levels of education. Development of learning programmes on sustainable development is absolutely essential, but environmental principles should not be taught separately from the other disciplines; they must be fully integrated in education systems to be an effective tool to sensitise and mobilise future generations. Values and principles should spread through education because today's youth is the thinking force of tomorrow and have the possibility to construct a sustainable future."


From Green Cross International President Mikhail Gorbachev
"Well, I believe in the cosmos. All of us are linked to the cosmos. Look at the sun. If there is no sun, then we cannot exist. So nature is my god."