To Have Water is a Human Right?

There are those who believe that access to drinking water, like health care, is a basic human right and, therefore, no-one should earn a profit from producing and selling it.

The United Church of Canada may ask its members to stop buying bottled water.

The request is part of a resolution against the privatization of water supplies that has been put before delegates at the church's general council this week in Thunder Bay.

Richard Chambers, the social policy co-ordinator with the national office of the church, said that water is a human right, and no one should profit from it.

"We're against the commodification, the privatization is another way to say it, of water anyway, anywhere," he told CBC News.

"And bottled water that we see being sold in Canada is just an example of that. The thin edge of the wedge of the privatization of water."

Doc's take:

So how would these folks at The United Church of Canada suggest that scarce resources like water be allocated? I'm guessing over 80% of them would say something like, "From each, according to his ability, to each, according to his need." I.e., they're closet Marxists. The purportedly great theologian, Paul Tillich once said that you can't be a good Christian without being a socialist.

The trouble with their view is that when there is scarcity, the resources have to be allocated according to some mechanism. Economists have done a pretty good job of showing that the market system, with well-defined property rights, allocates scarce resources pretty well. If, as a substitute for the market, religious leaders were the ones to decide who gets the goodies, then they will have immense power and make most of us worse off.

This is, I might add, the trouble with so many ethicists' points on human rights to water, health care, etc.:  they seem to forget, assuming theyhad the realization in the first place, that resources are scarce and have alternative uses and, therefore, must be rationed.  If we allow a group of appointed (annointed) people to do this, we tend towards despotism.

I wonder who they think should pay for the purification and distribution of water. I'm guessing they just love rationing plans. If so, they should read more about the problems with queuing for bread, shoes, etc., in the former Soviet Union.

It seems to follow that Mr. Chambers is against the privatization of every piece of machinery, every bit of human capital, every minute bit of information used in making water fit for human consumption.  How does he propose to allocate the numerous resources that cleanse the water not to mention the water itself?

Lord help them if Mr. Chambers and his ilk ever visit a place where "don't drink the water" is common advice for travellers.  Wouldn't some fresh, cold, and safe bottled water come in handy then?

Addendum: from the "Serves Them Right" department:

Ironically, the church's delegates are drinking bottled water this week at its meeting at Lakehead University. The conference facility was not equipped to provide drinking water.

Chambers said the church had asked for tap water at all functions, but a mix-up occurred.

Well, I'll be.  Bottled water does come in handy in a pinch.