Category: About Justice

We in the United States wage economic terrorism, along with other rich countries and our multi-nationals who have carte-blanche to do whatever they want. This is what is meant by systemic injustice.

Most Americans are very concerned with personal immorality, but we rarely want to learn or understand about the poverty, death and violence we create through our unfair trade and tax laws.

However, as moral persons we are responsible for both personal morality and the morality, or immorality, of our trade laws and economic systems.

Our country holds both the purse and the purse strings and still we want more! We can’t hope to end terrorism against us when we continue to wage economic terrorism against others around the world.

This article from the Guardian describes a good example of the systemic evil perpetrated by rich countries – including the U.S. You won’t find this in the U.S. media. The article explains how we want the rules for global taxation to remain in our favor and in the favor of rich countries and mult-national corporations, rather than be FAIR. Here’s an excerpt:

On one side of this fight sit Britain, the US, the EU and other rich countries, which want to maintain the pre-eminence of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), a club of rich countries, as the body that dominates the setting of global tax rules. On the other side, along with South Africa, sit Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and other developing countries, which want developing countries to have a bigger voice.

When a multinational from one country invests in another, these global rules form the framework for deciding which country gets to tax which bits of the resulting income, and to what degree. Current OECD-dominated rules tend to skew taxing rights towards richer countries, and do a poor job of stopping multinational corporations (typically from rich countries) setting up schemes to avoid tax, often via tax havens.

The developing countries are seeking to strengthen the UN’s own tax committee – the committee of experts on international co-operation in tax matters – which could potentially represent and advance the interests of developing countries far better than the OECD ever can. And, as Chile’s permanent mission to the UN noted recently, the UN tax committee “is the only body with global membership in which these issues can be discussed“.

More than a quarter of G20 member states – including Mexico, its next chair – are on record in favour of a stronger committee, and now, after years of relative quiescence on this crucial issue, developing countries seem to be finding their voice.

The world doesn’t need Free Trade – we need FAIR Trade. This is the way to peace and sustainability.

When I asked my friend L, “Why do we think we have the right to loot and pillage other countries?” she didn’t hesitate one second responding sarcastically, “Because we think we’re ‘blessed.'”

What about you? Do you think what we have in the United States is the result of being “blessed”? Think again.

This article is just one more reminder that our U.S. economy and lifestyles are carried on the backs of others in poor countries – and we make it that way. To refuse to learn more is to collude with and be culpable for systemic evil.

You may also like It Takes a Pillage,  Are We So Different?, How Much is Enough? and What is White Privilege?

How should wealth be distributed? In an article entitled Wealth Inequality, Dan Ariely at Technology Review.com asked Americans this very question.

“Perform the following thought experiment. Remove yourself for a moment from your present socioeconomic circumstances and imagine that you are to be replaced randomly into society at any class level.

Now, before you know your particular place in society you are told that it is within your powers to redistribute the wealth of that society in any way that you choose.  What distribution would you choose? This famous thought experiment is the basis of political philosopher John Rawls, as outlined in his highly influential 1971 work, “A Theory Of Justice,” in which he argues that the lowest class should be made as well off as possible.” (Bold was added)

What distribution would you choose? Click here to see how those surveyed responded. What do Americans believe is the current wealth distribution in the U.S.? –

“. . . participants rather badly estimated the current state of wealth disparity! Furthermore, they offered an ideal wealth distribution (under a “veil of ignorance”) that was even more different (and more equal) relative to the current state of affairs.

What this tells me is that Americans don’t understand the extent of disparity in the US, and that they (we) desire a more equitable society.”

These results tell me two additional things. First, for all the rhetoric we read in the media against socialism, it turns out that Americans are a lot more socialistic than they would like to believe because they believe in a more equitable society.

Americans frequently forget that we are VERY socialistic about some things. We want just one water supplier or sewer system, for example. The same is true for electricity, natural gas and other utilities. In fact it makes sense here.

Second, Americans believe in a social safety net – what an equitable society requires.

The reality is that all healthy societies, in the past and today, provide a base income or social safety net for everyone before others are allowed to retain great wealth.

Once basic human needs are assured then wealth disparity becomes less problematic because the social problems caused by wealth disparity – shrinking middle class, unemployment, crime, drug abuse, poor health, lack of skills – are minimized or eliminated.

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