Adam Smith, the economist who, at the end of the 18th century, gave the capitalistic economy its developed form and whose conclusions are often referred to as being crucial for the way the world looks today, said in 1759:
”This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition, though necessary both to establish and to maintain the distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time, the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral senti- ments. That wealth and greatness are often regarded with the respect and admiration which are due only to wisdom and virtue; and that the contempt, of which vice and folly are the only proper objects, is often most unjustly bestowed upon poverty and weakness, has been the complaint of moralists in all ages.” The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Most of us can agree that we, as humans, do not take care of our planet and ourselves the way we should. No one can avoid seeing the catastrophic direction toward which social, environmental, and political developments have gone, and it is likely that no one wants it that way either.
Our society is economically driven. Naturally, this has played a crucial role in creating the situation we now have, a situation that will only continue as economic forces will keep shaping our future. Politics tries to maintain its influence but everyone knows that the global economy, or at least very large parts of it, is controlled by corporate interests.
Today, some of the largest individual economies are private, owned by global corporations and not nations. This position as the dominant institution in society therefore gives owners, boards, and management teams an immense responsibility for the ‘common good’.
But how are we doing in this respect?
The system we use today for creating as good a world as possible for ourselves rewards greed, short-sightedness, and fear all because of the economic rules we willingly accept. Perhaps we should reflect on the fact that our way of thinking and acting has so far lead us to a global economy dominated by the arms industry, narcotics, tobacco, sex, and fossil fuels.
There is no way that we can continue with “Business As Usual”; not if we want to see a future where the human race survives. And we do have a choice.