Murder Incorporated

Thanks to the marvels of Freeview I got to watch The Corporation the other night.

Pretty long and at times over-worthy, but still quite a powerful film; and a good reminder of the impact that global capitalism has on some of the world's poorest people. The film featured interviews with, among others, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Elaine Bernard, (all of whom lectured at the HTUP which I attended this time last year), as well as some real beauts (step forward Milton Friedman et al), who would have made excellent pantomime villains apart from the fact that they play that role in the real world with such consummate ease.

Thought one of the film's strongest points was the section showing how companies 'externalise costs'; or to put it another way, leave it to you, me and anyone other than themselves to pick up the tab for pollution/poverty pay/unsafe working etc etc.

Why pay a decent living wage when the state will subsidise low pay through the benefits system; why make products safely when its cheaper to pollute and let the tax-payer pay for cleaning up afterwards? Why put the interests of the wider community first when your over-riding legal responsibility is to maximize profit for your shareholders?

This article in yesterday's FT reinforces these points - companies are happy to pay out paltry fines to retain their 'right' to pollute or work unsafely, simply because it makes economic sense for them to do so. According to the article, "The average fine for breaking health and safety laws is less than £10,000" - and when you factor out the small number of larger fines, it actually breaks out nearer to £6000. Not the sort of figures which cause CEO's of multi-national companies to lose much sleep at night.

And they say crime doesn't pay!