Consumers are complaining about rising prices. Some foodstuffs cost ever more. Fuel prices are soaring. Health care becomes more expensive… Many producers are also complaining. Often they get minimum prices for their products or raw materials. Especially in less developed countries. Why are prices going up? Why are producers paid little for their produce? Who is behind this unfair economic system?
Dharshie Wissah from Kakamega in Kenya took this picture and won the 2019 CIWEM environmental photographer of the year prize (category: water, equality and sustainability). It is a shocking image for most people around the world. The picture shows a young boy drinking dirty water due to the lack of water points in the area caused by deforestation. Lack of clean water greatly increases the risk of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other water-borne tropical diseases.
Western observers are sent to many countries world-wide to check whether elections are held fairly and openly. Why not send observers to less developed countries to check whether the western companies active there give the local communities a fair share of the cake? Or a fair deal?
Why do some people play first fiddle? Why do some people play second fiddle? Do some have superior qualities? Do some have inferior qualities? Many first fiddles just have more power. More power because of more money. More power because of the right connections. More power because they are more assertive.
Most economists and politicians still believe the free market economy is the best system around. Yet, the free market is anything but free. Freedom means that we can live our own individuality while respecting other human beings and Nature. The present free market does not show enough respect. Many people are the victims of the whimsical selfishness and greed of those having economic power over them.
Making a profit is fine, but making a fortune by having your products made by underpaid workers in countries with no or hardly any labour or environmental laws is nothing to look up to. Misleading investors and consumers is not either.
Excessive materialism is bringing our world and Earth to the brink of collapse. We need a new kind of leaders and institutions urgently. Human beings do need material things to organize their lives. But do they really need all that much? Do they really need to buy new things only to buy yet other new things shortly after?
Humanity has indeed made tremendous advancements, but too much confidence has been put on the self-regulating capacity of the free market. The market is free only for part of the players. We need a new type of leaders with a global vision. Leaders that unite instead of divide. Leaders that lead and do not mislead.
In several cities in the world, new 7-star hotels (yes indeed, already seven) are supposed to take luxury to yet a higher level. That is: material luxury based on silver, gold and even platinum. Or materialism to the top. But seven is not the top if we judge by the marketing logic of the modern economy. Well "modern"? It is becoming rather old-fashioned.