The Specter of Greed

Yo personalmente elijo la globalización. ¿Y usted?
Jaime Raúl Molina

There is no greater disaster than greed.
Lao-tzu

Panama’s Agenda Magazine has done it again—they’ve set loose their columnist Jaime Raúl Molina to preach the glories of allowing international corporations to conduct business without restrictions. In his most recent piece, “Los mitos del movimiento anti-globalización,” Molina claims that the good of humanity is the primary concern of global commerce.

The February 19, 2006 issue of The Panama News included my response to one of Molina’s earlier articles, “La carretera de la discordia,” which also appeared in Agenda. In that piece, Molina advocated the construction of a highway through Darién—one of the last rainforests of the Americas—arguing that this will open Panamá to the rest of the world.

In Molina’s most recent work, he summarily dismisses the apprehensions of those who have taken a stand against unrestricted commercial globalization. According to Jaime Raúl Molina, global commerce is a benevolent force, possessing a life of its own, that will eliminate poverty from the earth.

Jaime Raúl Molina doesn’t appear to be kidding about this.

While I agree with him that globalization will help create jobs and spread the benefits of the best that modernity has to offer, I strongly disagree that corporations should be allowed to deal freely, without restrictions, anywhere in the underdeveloped world. Economic history repeatedly teaches us that mantra that guides corporate interests is ‘maximum profits at a minimal cost’—and such a stance easily leads to the exploitation of a vulnerable labor force.

But what I find most alarming about Molina’s article is that he appeals to the most ignoble stimulus of human nature: greed. In addition, in “Los mitos del movimiento anti-globalización,” Jaime Raúl Molina is guilty of selling false hope—he claims that unrestricted commercial globalization will solve the financial hardships of Panama’s poor.

And it’s precisely on these points that Molina and the publicity created by the proponents of the Canal’s expansion intersect: their arguments in favor of their causes appeal to greed and offer false hope.

A couple of weeks ago, a security guard that works near my home cornered me—literally—to let me know, with no uncertainty in his voice, that any Panamanian who votes against the expansion of the Canal is an idiot. He believes that the Canal’s widening will offer jobs for virtually everyone. He has swallowed the propaganda of the Authority of the Panama Canal (ACP)—hook, line, and sinker.

I am not Panamanian. Thus, I am not entitled to try to persuade anyone to agree with me. Plus, I must admit that I believe that the widening of the Panama Canal is a no-brainer. It needs to be done.

As the proposal is currently written, however, I see two dangers. One, without the appropriate safeguards to protect against financial abuses, the project will become a magnet for greed. And, two, because of the greed factor, there is a real danger that environmental concerns will fall by the wayside. In fact, studies commissioned by the ACP, the main proponent of the expansion, suggest that the widening can result in the salinization of Gatún Lake, the main source of drinking water for Panama City. But it seems that this information is being swept under the rug.

Both concerns are grave. It would be foolish to dismiss them lightly.

I agree with Jaime Raúl Molina that globalization is not only inevitable, but it’s desirable. But I’m not naïve enough to believe that corporations are angelic forces watching out for our welfare.

I also agree that the Panama Canal needs to be widened. However, Panamanians need to implement a system of strict financial controls to ward off the specter of greed.