Profit-driven multinationals, underpinned by neo-liberalism and capitalism, are wreaking havoc on the global economy and diminishing the quality of life of the peoples of the world by making unethical financial decisions and by speculating on food prices and driving them through the roof, as it were. Added to this is the deleterious impact of oil prices on the world economy, the recent significant decreases notwithstanding. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made a timely call for a new world order, which should see international bodies such as the World Bank, the IMF, and the United Nations rebranded, refocused, and reinvigorated.
Some fundamental questions here though are these: Are Mr. Brown’s conceptions the answer to the problems we face? How can humanity solve the mercurial and interconnected gas and food crises that are contributing to food insecurity, increased poverty, and concomitant unease and discontent around the world? What can the G7 or G8 countries do? What role can the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) play to ameliorate or even obliterate the crises that threaten the existence of the human species? Can humanity save itself from itself as it moves steadily towards self-destruction, again?
Senator A. J. Nicholson, the opposition spokesman on justice, opined in the Sunday Gleaner of April 27, 2008 that Jamaica in particular, and I guess humanity in general, can save itself by embracing “a sense of community” and “togetherness” with good “captaincy” in piloting the ship of Jamaica through the current economic storm. I agree to the extent that this “sense of community” is driven by the ethic of love. It seems though that a few among us are bent on hoarding the world’s wealth at the expense of the many. I submit that we can only “save” ourselves by looking beyond ourselves. We should look to the ethics of Jesus. One of the integral aspects of such ethical considerations is the ethic of agapaic (Greek agape- “unconditional love”) love- love for God (spirituality), love for neighbour (community) and love for self (individuality). No one influenced by this ethic would sacrifice the very existence of his brother to the self-serving profit motif.
The reality is that many of the persons who run the multinational conglomerates do not even consider most of the world’s poor as their “brothers” and “sisters”. To them “community” is significant in so far as it enriches them. Their spirituality is woefully superficial and their individuality the god of their lives. They are filled with the spirit of Cain that rejects the eternal significance of brotherhood. They do not see themselves as their brothers’ keepers, if indeed they recognize the commonality of the humanity of all.
Gordon Brown’s call for interfaith dialogue as a segment of the new world order in the midst of the global economic downturn is significant. Indeed, the politics of interfaith dialogue is obviously a necessity in terms of the reduction of religion-propelled bigotry and international terrorism that has, at times, had a negative ripple effect on the world. However, I go further than Brown in calling the people of the world to the ethic of agapaic love that is enfleshed by Jesus and reflected most of the time in the Christian community.
If this ethic of love that champions a healthy balance between spirituality, community, and individuality does not pervade the human race, there is no escaping the large scale destruction that would envelope this planet we call earth. The Honorable Robert (“Bob”) Nesta Marley understood this when he called for “one love” in the world. That call is as relevant and urgent today as ever because there is “so much trouble in the world”. I trust that the hidden or suppressed human sensitivity of the money-hungry speculators among us would surface and contribute to their heeding the call of Jesus and Bob Marley!
1 comment:
In the WWII era and for a long time beyond, corporations understood that they were citizens of the countries that they were in, and they accepted at least some of the burdens that come with citizenship.
Somewhere along the way, someone decided that the only things a corporation exists for are profit maximizing and fattening executive wallets. All other considerations-whether or not the commons of any nation gets gutted, or we all die from the pollution, or poor people starve to death or die of treatable maladies-don't matter anymore.
I have asked many times what the MBA schools teach. I can guarantee that responsibility or prudence aren't to be found in MBA courses.
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