West Wing - commerce vs. ethics
I’ve been watching quite a lot of the West Wing recently, an American series that shows the routine of a fictitious President of the United States and its close staff.
It’s impressive how arts can subtly introduce messages in our minds. I found myself thinking about commerce solving some important democracy problems, when I would normally defend a less financial and more conscientious approach to the problem.
Anyway, as even the West Wing has its critique moments, look at a dialogue happened in the Chapter 11 of Season 7, discussing exactly this commerce vs. ethics issue.
Context: The White House is negotiating an oil commercial sanction against Sudan in order to avoid genocide. The agreement goes against China’s economic interests.
Chinese Ambassador: You know what I think about a lot? Capitalism vanquished Communism. Obliterated it. And here we are having a discussion where you are trying to restrict our markets.
White House Chief of Staff: We are trying to address a humanitarian situation in the Sudan.
Chinese Ambassador: Exactly. But you have always taught us that liberty is the same thing as Capitalism. As if life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness cannot be crushed by greed. Your American dream is financial, not ethical.
White House Chief of Staff: This is a good deal for the Chinese. I hope you’ll consider it carefully.
Chinese Ambassador: Of course.
White House Chief of Staff: Thank you.
Chinese Ambassador: No, thank you. You have taught us well.
Labels: Thoughts, World Issues
posted by Gabi Werner @ 10:05 AM
1 Comments:
I think perhaps the meaning of this section of dialogue has a much deeper meaning. The episode was about getting things done in the final days of the administration. The chinese ambassador was pointing out the hypocrisy of the US government in the way it wax's lyrical about capitalism being good and communism being evil.
He was saying that the American way of life promotes free markets as being at the heart of what makes the world go round and yet, when it decides otherwise it will seek to prohibit other countries which are looking to join the free market from doing what the US has been teaching everybody for decades. He was saying that the US thinks that the American dream is ethical yet the way it promotes itself globally is in fact financial. As the german ambassador stated; if it seeks to promote itself as the leader of the free world then lead instead of hiding behind other nations for financial means.
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