The UN Represents The Governments Of The World. May A "Bell Of Atri" Represent The People Of The World? (Part 21)
The Greek word "phil" can be translated as "friendship" & the word "anthropos" means "humanity". When combined into the word "philanthropy", the message conveyed is "friendship with humanity".
The legally-admissible definition of a "philanthropist":
A person - with or without academic degrees/diplomas, huge amounts of wealth or decades of work experience - who invests money, time or skills, in 1/more type(s) of "business", with the objective of improving the quality of life for all living beings, in a lasting way.
While intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) appreciate the motives, is it possible that - if not implemented, Rockefeller-style - they disapprove of the actions of "philanthropists"? Given below are 2 stories that raise this (troubling) question:
"Inside the Fight Over Michael Jackson’s $2 Billion Estate — and His Mom's Battle with Her Grandson Bigi" - People (March 23, 2024)
To summarize: John Branca (& maybe John McClain) decided to liquidate the assets of the Michael Jackson Estate, citing the present as the perfect time; Ms. Katherine Scruse dug in her heels over her stance that Branca (& maybe McClain) should wait; "Bigi" & Branca (& maybe McClain) shot back that they were paying her bills & taxes, so she shouldn't get greedy; so, presiding judge Mitchell L. Beckloff (who has reportedly been legitimizing Branca's {& maybe McClain's} management decisions regarding Michael's assets since 2009) said he can't decide this case (supposedly because he will be retiring next month).
In reality, if a judge's impending retirement really constituted a legal hurdle to deciding any case, Judge Beckloff would have been officially instructed & legally obligated to hand off all his sub-judice cases to another qualified judge; since that is not so, is it reasonable to assume that his reluctance to continue adjudicating this case, is rooted in other reasons (perhaps he has given his {rubber} stamp of approval to one too many decisions made by Ziffren Brittenham, starting with his legitimization of Ziffren Brittenham's {highly-questionable} draft of what the law firm claimed was "Michael Jackson's Will")?
But, it is tragic to see that no IGO has said a word about the decimation of the humanitarian legacy of one of the world's greatest philanthropists - who demonstrated to the whole planet, that a person does not have to be equipped with degrees, diplomas, etc. to be a philanthropist, he/she just needs a marketable item (skill, time, resources, etc.), the distribution of which he/she is personally invested in - by parties such as Ms. Scruse, Mr. Branca, "Bigi", etc., all of whom are deliberately exploiting the fact that IGOs, e.g. the UN (especially its human rights departments), are legally obligated to act only if asked by a Government Of The World.
"Karachi retailer ‘fined’ for selling cheaper flour" - ARY News (March 23, 2024)
To summarize: Jodia Bazaar (Karachi) is back in the news! An earlier news report covered the efforts of local authorities to force Jodia Bazaar traders to sell groceries at a loss, which said traders (correctly) declared illegal, unless the authorities could supply them with groceries at a reasonable rate. There was no further coverage on that discussion (possibly because the idea of causing a loss to the trader community may have originated with the IMF's seeming objective of being the only financial winner in the world). The latest item covers the fine that one of said traders has incurred, for choosing to honor Ramzan by selling flour at a rate lower than even the official rate!
领英推荐
The relevant authorities have yet to issue a rebuttal or clarification; but prima facie, it currently appears that, in keeping with the paternalism espoused by most (or perhaps, all) IGOs, the local authorities were directed to enforce obedience, not inspire respect.
Why should any member of the People Of The World be punished for voluntarily helping fellow human beings? Is it because intercessors, e.g. local or global non-profits & not-for-profits, the UN & other IGOs, etc., were not invited to get involved? Or is it because, that trader has proved to the world that anyone can be a philanthropist simply by sharing what he/she can afford to share - without neglecting his/her moral or legal obligations?
The People Of The World ask:
Does the circus that the US judicial system has made out of Michael Jackson's Estate & the Karachi price control authorities have made out of business dealings in Jodia Bazaar, constitute evidence that it is a legal offense for a business-savvy human being to be a free-lance philanthropist?
Are these cases, the final piece of evidence required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that the UN & other IGOs operating across the world, are so legally-obligated to serve the Governments Of The World, that they appear numb & oblivious to the injustices rained down upon the People Of The World...to the point that they remain silent when private philanthropists who make a sincere & provable improvement in the global quality of life, are obstructed or penalized?
The "Bell Of Atri" answer:
Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff was a founding partner of law firm Groman & Beckloff in 1994; he was appointed to the bench in 2007 by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; when he retires, it is reasonable to assume that (if legally possible) he will return to Groman & Beckloff; much like the rumored recent client exodus from Ziffren Brittenham (on suspicion of legal malpractice, fraud, etc. by partner John Branca), will Judge Beckloff bury the prospects of Groman & Beckloff?
The Karachi price control authorities' ongoing dispute with the traders of Jodia Bazaar, when paired off with other legal disputes (such as the Creek Marina Scam, Michael Jackson's Triumph International offices in Karachi, etc.) appears to be part of an insidious plot to undermine Karachi's reputation as the business center of Pakistan; expecting any IGO to show interest is legally absurd, the Supreme Court Of Pakistan has clipped the wings of the "suo motu" strategy by turning SC judges into voters with special privileges, no qualified law firm in the last ~20 years has shown any interest in a Pakistan Constitution Article 184(3) public interest case. Now, all that remains to be seen is which of the current private sector shot-callers of the Karachi business community are still fit to be shot-callers...or not?
"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope.
In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort.
In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream.
And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe." - Michael Jackson