One rationale for the military action in Libya was to protect civilians. Many probably see this as a reasonable humanitarian response, but few would see it as an economic response. Why not? What kind of economic framework ignores the human need for protection? It turns out that this is true of much of mainstream economics, which is certainly one reason we continue to move toward a dismal future.
Think about it. First there was Tunisia and Egypt: courageous people protesting for human dignity and justice. Without any religious flag waving, they were demanding the right to be free. The gods must have been downright giddy. And then came Libya, followed by Wisconsin, and then the Japanese earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear power plant crisis. If that would not make the gods go crazy, I don’t know what would.
Marvin T. Brown, Ph.D teaches business and organizational ethics at the University of San Francisco and Saybrook University in San Francisco.
This book is the culmination of 30 years of teaching and writing on business and society from a communicative perspective. Visit workingethics.com for more information.
Adam Smith American Dream Atlantic trade banks biosphere citizen Citizens United civic civic conversations civic economy Civicism civic membership civilizing the economy Commons corporate citizen corporations democracy disagreement economics of property economics of provision Egypt health care reform human dignity invisible hand John Locke libertarianism Libya living wage membership money moral equality property property relations protection Scotland slavery slaves Smith and slavery Smithian economics sports sustainability system of provision the civic tobacco trade Wall Street