Comments on: Faith and the Global Agenda: Values for the Post-Crisis Economy– An new report from the World Economic Forum and Georgetown University http://anthonyclarkarend.com/humanrights/faith-and-the-global-agenda-values-for-the-post-crisis-economy-an-new-report-from-the-world-economic-forum-and-georgetown-university/ Commentary and analysis at the intersection of international law and politics Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:32:42 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: William "Chris" Yount http://anthonyclarkarend.com/humanrights/faith-and-the-global-agenda-values-for-the-post-crisis-economy-an-new-report-from-the-world-economic-forum-and-georgetown-university/comment-page-1/#comment-2713 William "Chris" Yount Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:01:53 +0000 http://anthonyclarkarend.com/?p=2009#comment-2713 Alcibiades_Today, I agree with you that the world's religions have largely abandoned the playing field when it comes to MNCs (science, too, in my opinion), and it's had a significantly negative impact. I can't go with you down the road that celebrates Iran's separation from the world at large as a model for international stability. True, there might be some select economic benefits in regards to being cushioned from international financial swings, but they've also missed out on the type of development that is only possible when accessing international-level financing possibilities. I also can't support the idea that Ahmadinejad opted out of international dialogue and interaction because he had some economical foresight about what was going to happen. I believe the isolation was more a product of paranoia and xenophobia. Love the handle, by the way. Alcibiades is one of my favorite tragic historical figures. Alcibiades_Today,

I agree with you that the world’s religions have largely abandoned the playing field when it comes to MNCs (science, too, in my opinion), and it’s had a significantly negative impact.

I can’t go with you down the road that celebrates Iran’s separation from the world at large as a model for international stability. True, there might be some select economic benefits in regards to being cushioned from international financial swings, but they’ve also missed out on the type of development that is only possible when accessing international-level financing possibilities.

I also can’t support the idea that Ahmadinejad opted out of international dialogue and interaction because he had some economical foresight about what was going to happen. I believe the isolation was more a product of paranoia and xenophobia.

Love the handle, by the way. Alcibiades is one of my favorite tragic historical figures.

]]> By: Alcibiades_Today http://anthonyclarkarend.com/humanrights/faith-and-the-global-agenda-values-for-the-post-crisis-economy-an-new-report-from-the-world-economic-forum-and-georgetown-university/comment-page-1/#comment-2511 Alcibiades_Today Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:41:27 +0000 http://anthonyclarkarend.com/?p=2009#comment-2511 The only shock here is that as many as 25% of respondents feel that MNCs apply a value driven approach to their sectors. Nestle and Bhopal? How about moving jobs to places where wages are lower, working conditions are squalid, and there are no environmental standards to meet? Or perhaps paying executives large bonuses while cutting jobs. The fact that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation do impressive philanthropy work does not erase the anti-competitive stance of Microsoft toward the world at large and its obsession with making sure no one can use its code for 99 years (really helps consumers, that). While I agree that the world's religions are repositories of the values whose absence has helped drive the economic crisis -- but have they not largely been coopted by the myth of the benign corporation. It's been a long time since the Conference of Bishops declared "A just and sustainable society and world are not an optional ideal, but a moral and practical necessity." And it's been pretty much crickets since. For all that people have been attacking Iran as a locus of Bad Things, it has been better insulated from a lot of the shananigans that were the proximate cause of the crisis precisely because the regime refuses to allow them or participation on those of others. Then again, the post-'79 commitment to level economic inequality has provided a more robust middle class than most seem to realize. Except Mr. Ahmadinejad, of course, because that middle class is the backbone of the opposition seeking to end his rule. The only shock here is that as many as 25% of respondents feel that MNCs apply a value driven approach to their sectors. Nestle and Bhopal? How about moving jobs to places where wages are lower, working conditions are squalid, and there are no environmental standards to meet? Or perhaps paying executives large bonuses while cutting jobs.

The fact that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation do impressive philanthropy work does not erase the anti-competitive stance of Microsoft toward the world at large and its obsession with making sure no one can use its code for 99 years (really helps consumers, that).

While I agree that the world’s religions are repositories of the values whose absence has helped drive the economic crisis — but have they not largely been coopted by the myth of the benign corporation. It’s been a long time since the Conference of Bishops declared “A just and sustainable society and world are not an optional ideal, but a moral and practical necessity.” And it’s been pretty much crickets since.

For all that people have been attacking Iran as a locus of Bad Things, it has been better insulated from a lot of the shananigans that were the proximate cause of the crisis precisely because the regime refuses to allow them or participation on those of others. Then again, the post-’79 commitment to level economic inequality has provided a more robust middle class than most seem to realize. Except Mr. Ahmadinejad, of course, because that middle class is the backbone of the opposition seeking to end his rule.

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