http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/16044-when-you-cheapen-one-life-you-cheapen-every-life
This week Slate columnist Matt Yglesias became the latest in a long list of commentators, analysts, and politicians to be seduced by the alluring notion that you can quantify, measure and model the value of a human life in intellectually stimulating, value-free, and career-advancing ways.
... ... ... ... ...
It's a platitude: Every human life is precious. But there are tables, spreadsheets, and models based on the opposite belief, that human lives have variable and quantifiable value. I've worked with those tools. The effort can be exciting – and blinding.
Yglesias stirred up some justified outrage this week when, in writing about the building collapse in Bangladesh which killed more than 300 workers, he said that "it's entirely appropriate for Bangladesh to have different — and, indeed, lower — workplace safety standards than the United States." To be fair to Yglesias, the death toll in Bangladesh hadn't yet topped 300 when he wrote those words. (It was only 240 or so at the time.)
Yglesias rejected calls to develop a "unified global standard for safety," saying that "in a free society it's good that different people are able to make different choices on the risk–reward spectrum" – as if starving or not starving is a "choice," or the "enrichment" he describes comes to any but the few and powerful.
"Bangladesh is a lot poorer than the United States," notes Yglesias helpfully, "and there are very good reasons for Bangladeshi people to make different choices in this regard than Americans."
[continue reading . . . ]
Farida's comment:
Yglesias' moral relativism is outrageous. Especially since
this was not simply another accident due to faulty structural design and
negligent construction regulation. It had to do with an ongoing vicious assault of the Islamist faction on the public and on the Govt. of Bangladesh. From a report : <<
Savar tragedy is an act of sabotage committed by those heinous elements
who have been trying for last few days to disrupt the grand rally of
women to be held at Shapla Chattar on April 27 . Hefajot and their
Islamist allies were urging the women not to attend the rally . The
building at Rana Plaza was declared structurally unsafe 2 days ago. The
BRAC Bank and other tenants abandoned the CRACKED BUILDING for safety
and the garment workers were also given holiday. Then, how come they were
FORCED by the Garments factory employers to come for work ? These are the paid elements
of Jamaat-Hefajot and should be arrested immediately !! >>
When You Cheapen One Life, You Cheapen Every Life
Sunday, 28 April 2013 10:23 By Richard Eskow, Campaign for America's Future | Op-EdThis week Slate columnist Matt Yglesias became the latest in a long list of commentators, analysts, and politicians to be seduced by the alluring notion that you can quantify, measure and model the value of a human life in intellectually stimulating, value-free, and career-advancing ways.
... ... ... ... ...
It's a platitude: Every human life is precious. But there are tables, spreadsheets, and models based on the opposite belief, that human lives have variable and quantifiable value. I've worked with those tools. The effort can be exciting – and blinding.
Yglesias stirred up some justified outrage this week when, in writing about the building collapse in Bangladesh which killed more than 300 workers, he said that "it's entirely appropriate for Bangladesh to have different — and, indeed, lower — workplace safety standards than the United States." To be fair to Yglesias, the death toll in Bangladesh hadn't yet topped 300 when he wrote those words. (It was only 240 or so at the time.)
Yglesias rejected calls to develop a "unified global standard for safety," saying that "in a free society it's good that different people are able to make different choices on the risk–reward spectrum" – as if starving or not starving is a "choice," or the "enrichment" he describes comes to any but the few and powerful.
"Bangladesh is a lot poorer than the United States," notes Yglesias helpfully, "and there are very good reasons for Bangladeshi people to make different choices in this regard than Americans."
[continue reading . . . ]
Farida's comment:
Yglesias' moral relativism is outrageous. Especially since
this was not simply another accident due to faulty structural design and
negligent construction regulation. It had to do with an ongoing vicious assault of the Islamist faction on the public and on the Govt. of Bangladesh. From a report : <<
Savar tragedy is an act of sabotage committed by those heinous elements
who have been trying for last few days to disrupt the grand rally of
women to be held at Shapla Chattar on April 27 . Hefajot and their
Islamist allies were urging the women not to attend the rally . The
building at Rana Plaza was declared structurally unsafe 2 days ago. The
BRAC Bank and other tenants abandoned the CRACKED BUILDING for safety
and the garment workers were also given holiday. Then, how come they were
FORCED by the Garments factory employers to come for work ? These are the paid elements
of Jamaat-Hefajot and should be arrested immediately !! >>
Ratan and Ruhin Hossain Prince.
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