The news slated in New York Times dated February 3, 2008 regarding gas shortage on a very cold winter days of modern Iran is a manifestation of the growing decline of local government insufficiency to regulate multinational corporations.
“Iran’s natural gas shortage became a crisis when Turkmenistan, to the north, cut off supplies in December over a pricing dispute. Iran does not have the refining capacity to meet its own needs (Slackman 2008)”.
Iran’s leaders became vulnerable when its cities experiences blackouts and homes left without heaters for days and weeks. Women and students being arrested, magazines publications being shut down had questioned the stewardship of the Iranian president by its religious leader. This is such a bad time for the in convent president racing a March 14 election when the cities are in chaos.
The event that is happening with Iran is an example of an economic crisis being encountered worldwide. However, it is ironic because they seemed not to get hold of what they have, they export oils which run electricity but due to market trade Iranians are deprived of what truly belongs to them.
Equitable sharing of wealth seems to have been neglected instead capitalist instigated a maximum return on investments. Political elites dialogue on revolutionary ideology and seemingly accept defeat that running a country like Iran is difficult (Slackman 2008). This is something we fear about, a kingdom divided among them cannot thrive. History keeps repeating itself, civilizations ends when a place is defined only by individuals.
As for now we cannot point our fingers on anyone but it is good to analyze where the culprit came from. What is happening in Iran is a consequence of globalism. The same way as it affects the Ogoni people in Nigeria and the rest of developing regions and poor countries of the globe. For these reason a 20/20 hindsight vision must be implemented between capitalism and equality. For it is an old idiom that the ends do not always justify the means.
Radical and extreme solutions may be imposed by the governance to solve the crisis but the big question is whose governance? For a country whose people are afraid of retribution, these pious poor may be found stiff dead one day.
Some contemporary forerunner of anti-globalism is Manfred Steger, the author of the book Globalization: A New Market Ideology. He pointed out that influence of supranational bodies decreases the ability of governments to regulate capitalist or multinational corporations. As of now fifty one among the 100 top corporations of the world are the wealthiest multinationals. These companies are funded and supported by the WTO and IMF.
Steger also discussed in his writings on how the protagonist of this culture uses these new market trends for the acceptance of the general public. It is purely hedonistic in culture wherein equality is subject to a chosen few. He said that globalization is globalony.
It is nonetheless the civilization of consumerism wherein market trades or trends are preferred more than the benefits of mankind. This scenario limits the choices of man which is not only derogatory but contrary to the free act of man.
Owen Wiwa’s brother Ken a physician was hanged when he lead the people for MOSOP a movement for the Ogoni people for survival in 1990 against Shell Corporation. It was a battle of removing the oil extraction and refineries which was a detriment to public health and safety. Today the refineries were gone except for the pipelines and people which ended up of not getting paid.
Anyone or anything that gets in the capitalist was must be extinguished or removed at all costs. Owen now continues what his brother have started and talking to some young students taking up law that ten years from now they may be working with these big corporations or with their governments, he asked them that they could make a big influence and by then it will be up to their conscience if they will choose to protect the benefit of man rather than the material things which must only be used to benefit humanity.
Equality is difficult to attain when the least is put aside. The world will seem to be an arena of struggle of the fittest that only the strong can command and will live.
We’ve always knew that there is no equality when there are prejudices. If the giants remain and we allow them to take over the rest, what would our society be in the next few years? If our technocrats and legislators only think of the future of these wealthy corporations disregarding human values and dignity, how much sufferings would be encountered all over the world?
This present generation must be concerned with the upheaval of this new trend: Globalization in the cloak of consumerism and materialism, capitalism versus equitable distribution of wealth, and the lost of dignity of labor. In our own ways we must scrutinize how we apply our daily living into the use of these material goods. Do we became enslave to them or does it help to serve mankind? Our proposition must always be that man lords the earth and not enslaved by it.
We need to bond strongly with one another against any corporate rule that is inhuman and too greedy. Like Steger and the Wiwa brothers we must struggle too in putting our best efforts to see to it that the goods of this earth are equitably shared by all races of mankind. We must stop all efforts which sponsors expensive armaments in support of terrorism and enriching uranium plants for the so called “peace purposes”.
The planet is not yet too old, it is only beginning to see the next third generation of the fastest technology. We hope to see a better world where everyone has the chance to improve his ways and live life to the fullest.
References
Michael Slackman 2008, A Frail Economy Raises Pressure on Iran’s Rulers, New York Times, [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 04 February 2008 from,
