A World of Misguided Interests
We have a world system that is made up of independent individuals, corporations and nations, each of whom acts in their own self-interest with little regard and no responsibility for the common good. And because of this, local and global economies convert natural capital into manufactured and financial capital without taking into account environmental or social costs.
This attitude can be seen clearly in the way we act. Individuals and corporations are more interested in short term profits than long term social benefits, productive farmland is sold to commercial developers, ancient forests are clear cut and jobs are outsourced overseas. These failures are purely structural; they are the direct result of a system that makes governments accountable only to their own citizens, and of a corporate system that makes executives accountable only to their shareholders. This is the root cause of all of our problems: because no government or corporation is responsible for common resources or collective problems; the air is polluted, water is contaminated, rainforests are destroyed, stocks of wild fish are depleted and millions of refugees are left stateless.
It makes sense that governments have trouble taking action on global warming, global poverty, and world peace because national interests often conflict with global interests. And no one is responsible for the planet. The closest organization we have is the United Nations which has a global responsibility, but no independent authority.
The irony (or maybe its just unfortunate?) is that we live in an increasingly interconnected world. The CO2 emissions of one country affect ever other country. Economic crises in one country immediately affect global stock markets. Wars in one region affect the security of countries on the other side of the globe. However although we have a global system, it is not responsible or accountable for the people of the world. Its worldview, values and social structures are not designed to ensure the welfare of either the environment or the majority of the world’s population [this was the irony I was referring too...I think?]
The Point = The only REAL issues in this world are those that are common to all people.
