Illegitimate Power, Illegitimate Violence: How Nations Are Built on the Backs of Disenfranchised Children
From The Observatory
Nations cannot fairly use force to control people unless they also give everyone, especially children, an equal chance to participate in democracy. Many governments fail to do this, particularly for children of color, who are often born into unsafe, unequal conditions without the resources they need to grow up healthy and empowered. This failure leads to long-term harm and contributes to problems like poverty, inequality, climate change, and violence.
After World War II, leaders began treating the choice to have children as a private matter, ignoring the public responsibility to ensure those children are born into fair conditions. As a result, many are born into systems that view them more as labor or risk than as future citizens. Wealthy nations and families have gained from this setup, while poor children and animals face the worst consequences.
Charities, companies, and governments often hide the damage they cause by using dishonest methods to measure success. They ignore how their actions impact children and the environment. Feel-good messaging and selective reporting allow them to appear helpful while avoiding accountability for deeper harm.
A new system is needed—one that measures progress based on how well children are treated from birth. Public disclosures should be required to show how policies and actions affect children’s rights, infant health, and environmental conditions. Wealthy individuals and institutions that benefited from unfair systems should be held responsible and contribute to climate and equity reparations.
True justice begins by recognizing every child as a full human being with equal rights from birth. Nations should be judged not by their military strength or wealth, but by how well they protect and empower their youngest members. A just future must be built with children’s well-being at the center—not on their backs.
Read the full article “Illegitimate Power, Illegitimate Violence: How Nations Are Built on the Backs of Disenfranchised Children” by Carter Dillard
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
