Free Enterprise – A Game of Slavery and Corruption?
Somewhere eons ago, a primitive economy began and has evolved to what it is today. It was man made and probably based on necessity. An economy is still necessary, but what is of major concern to a large majority of us is the world wide corporate greed that places profit making a priority over and beyond people. In fact, we can best define free enterprise as a form of materialistic cannibalism.
Our present present free market system shows no mercy, respect, or regard for the human dignity and welfare of millions of marginalized/disadvantaged people around the world. It is alive and flourishing very well, even in Canada. Peoples’ lives are being exploited and sacrificed as though they are consumables and/or disposables.
We are hearing, more and more often, of the expression: “profits before people”, which clearly indicates that slavery and exploitation is still, very much, a world wide phenomenon.
We just had the recent collapse of a clothing manufacturing plant in Bangladesh that killed hundreds of workers. A prime example of free enterprise negligence and disregard for the dignity of human beings. Unsafe working conditions and very low wages can also be added in. There are thousands of similar situations in so-called “sweat-shops” around the world.
The collapse of a store in the Elliott Lake, Ontario mall is an example of free enterprise carelessness here in Canada. The tainted meat scandal in the Excel processing plant of Brooks, Alberta is very well known. The most regrettable and tragic accident has to the oil tanker train that crashed, exploded and burned catastrophically east of Montreal. It appears that lack of staffing in support of profit making was the probable reason.
The world is very familiar with the slave labour that has been going on in coffee plantations for hundreds of years. Wages of 2 to 5 cents per day is not uncommon. Labour conditions involve working long hours under the blazing sun. (That is why my family doesn’t drink coffee.)
Many Canadians are also very familiar with the unregulated mining practices being carried out by Canadian companies in some of the Central and South American countries at this very moment. People are forced off their land, which is then stripped of minerals and left with heaps of slag everywhere. Mining chemicals have been dumped anywhere, contaminating the soil and water, rendering them dangerous to all forms of life. Canadian companies have even bought up the rights to water resources and are charging the people to buy it whether they can afford it or not. Would you want your family to be subjected to those free enterprise conditions?
The above is precisely what is happening, quickly and steadily right here in B.C. and across Canada. Free enterprise is totally out of control and is the result of the world’s collapsing economy. How many more lives will be sacrificed for corporate profiteering? How many governments are not being accountable and taking the responsibility for the safety and welfare of their people? How anyone can pride themselves in this kind of irresponsibility and exploitation is beyond all comprehension. Shall we keep records and write report cards on our Canadian leadership?
Jim Demetrick
The Publisher welcomes any well thought out article, piece or letter.