Comments on: Former Shell executive decries ‘The myth of Corporations’ commitments to Human Rights’ http://www.bloggernews.net/110566 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:48:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Paddy Briggs http://www.bloggernews.net/110566#comment-103796 Paddy Briggs Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:22:59 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/110566#comment-103796 Thank you for your impassioned response to my article. I agree with you! The role of a corporation is defined by law – it must first and foremost act in the interests of its shareholders. This means that if an action is approved by shareholders, is legal and is in the long term interest of shareholders then corporations nine times out of ten will take that action. The converse applies as well. So Total and Shell and all the others who preach so self-importantly about their human rights obligations and commitments are being, at the very least, disingenuous. You or I, knowing of the revolting abuses of Human Rights in (say) China or Saudi Arabia would do our utmost not to associate ourselves with any action (e.g. taking a vacation in China) which might conflict with our consciences. But corporations have no such consciences - indeed the very basis of their corporate structure precludes them from acting in any way that is not in the interests of shareholders. Total in Burma or Shell in China or Saudi Arabia are active in these countries because they believe that future profit streams will accrue to them – to the benefit of shareholders. That these countries are high on the lists of pariah states according to Human Rights watch and Amnesty (etc.) is of no importance when stacked up against corporate greed. Let us say that Shell pulled out of Saudi Arabia for Humans Rights reasons. First the Financial Analysts would think that the company had lost its head and vitriolic criticism would follow. Next the share price would fall. Then the institutional investors in Shell would be up in arms and the AGM would castigate the management. It won’t happen! So my plea is not to Total or Shell or BP NOT to be involved in these places. That is not realistic. My please is to stop the hypocritical sham of claiming on the one hand that you support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whilst on the other hand continuing to operate in a host of counties where Human Rights abuses are endemic. Thank you for your impassioned response to my article. I agree with you! The role of a corporation is defined by law – it must first and foremost act in the interests of its shareholders. This means that if an action is approved by shareholders, is legal and is in the long term interest of shareholders then corporations nine times out of ten will take that action. The converse applies as well. So Total and Shell and all the others who preach so self-importantly about their human rights obligations and commitments are being, at the very least, disingenuous. You or I, knowing of the revolting abuses of Human Rights in (say) China or Saudi Arabia would do our utmost not to associate ourselves with any action (e.g. taking a vacation in China) which might conflict with our consciences. But corporations have no such consciences - indeed the very basis of their corporate structure precludes them from acting in any way that is not in the interests of shareholders. Total in Burma or Shell in China or Saudi Arabia are active in these countries because they believe that future profit streams will accrue to them – to the benefit of shareholders. That these countries are high on the lists of pariah states according to Human Rights watch and Amnesty (etc.) is of no importance when stacked up against corporate greed.

Let us say that Shell pulled out of Saudi Arabia for Humans Rights reasons. First the Financial Analysts would think that the company had lost its head and vitriolic criticism would follow. Next the share price would fall. Then the institutional investors in Shell would be up in arms and the AGM would castigate the management. It won’t happen! So my plea is not to Total or Shell or BP NOT to be involved in these places. That is not realistic. My please is to stop the hypocritical sham of claiming on the one hand that you support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whilst on the other hand continuing to operate in a host of counties where Human Rights abuses are endemic.

]]> By: DennyJay1 http://www.bloggernews.net/110566#comment-95481 DennyJay1 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:25:16 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/110566#comment-95481 Burma is in the news and the UN waffles in the severest terms. Mugabe is stealing everything with any value in Zimbabwe and getting away with it, whilst African leaders either applaud or "energetically" use quiet diplomacy to stop him - quiet diplomacy is political-speak for "do bugger all whilst planning my next overseas trip with my mistress." Politicians to a man or woman suffer from the same malady, whether in Africa, Europe or America. This is a self-belief in their own importance and the deservedness of the special, frequently luxurious lifestyle now availed to them. As a sometime voter, I actually do not care whether my elected representative and servant to the people is revered by his fellows for fine clothes, expensive vehicles, the coolest, toughest-looking bodyguards and often gorgeous, "obliging" political assistants to accompany him or her on their travels. But go to Westminster, the UN in New York or even the Kremlin and you will immediately notice the aura of power. The atmosphere is far from that of diligent public servants of humanity attempting to make a better world for all the inhabitants they represent. A combination of fashion show and fine wine club, with a whiff of armaments fair would be more accurate. This charade, whilst in many parts of the globe, young children starve, women are raped and monks are beaten to death as a result of political agendas. We face a threat to the very survival of our species in the form of global warming and climate change, that in terms of the time lines of our planet, is upon us now. The response from our illustrious fat-cat politicians, is to place flags beneath the North pole; to eye Iranian oil and gas reserves, whilst planning attack; to supply Typhoon fighters to oil rich nations and blatantly overlook proven corruption. I am so sick of hearing, watching and reading about one group of people getting it over another group of people. Is it beyond us to unite as a species to tackle the real threats for the future of us all. Global Warming - Climate Change - Energy Starvation - Population Explosion. Since the industrial revolution we have grabbed and consumed the world's resources with all the restraint of a binge-drinker in a distillery ! The seas are bare of fish, oil has peaked and yet we seem intent on charging over the environmental cliff like drug crazed Lemmings. And for most of us, ours is a complicity in this process, through total apathy. We need to tell the elected leaders of the World what we ordinary, less privileged citizens DEMAND of them. And the great news is, we all have access to the tool to do it - the Internet. Never before in history has it been possible for people around the world, with just one common thread, humanity, to join together and impose their will on shoddy world leaders. Make your voice heard. Email your friends, wherever they may be. Use blogs, letters to the press, anything and everything available to speak out; but do not do NOTHING. Remember, the dinosaurs were once top of the food chain! Time to stop and think...and for Homo sapiens to start really living again ! Burma is in the news and the UN waffles in the severest terms. Mugabe is stealing everything with any value in Zimbabwe and getting away with it, whilst African leaders either applaud or “energetically” use quiet diplomacy to stop him - quiet diplomacy is political-speak for “do bugger all whilst planning my next overseas trip with my mistress.”

Politicians to a man or woman suffer from the same malady, whether in Africa, Europe or America. This is a self-belief in their own importance and the deservedness of the special, frequently luxurious lifestyle now availed to them.

As a sometime voter, I actually do not care whether my elected representative and servant to the people is revered by his fellows for fine clothes, expensive vehicles, the coolest, toughest-looking bodyguards and often gorgeous, “obliging” political assistants to accompany him or her on their travels.

But go to Westminster, the UN in New York or even the Kremlin and you will immediately notice the aura of power. The atmosphere is far from that of diligent public servants of humanity attempting to make a better world for all the inhabitants they represent. A combination of fashion show and fine wine club, with a whiff of armaments fair would be more accurate.

This charade, whilst in many parts of the globe, young children starve, women are raped and monks are beaten to death as a result of political agendas.

We face a threat to the very survival of our species in the form of global warming and climate change, that in terms of the time lines of our planet, is upon us now. The response from our illustrious fat-cat politicians, is to place flags beneath the North pole; to eye Iranian oil and gas reserves, whilst planning attack; to supply Typhoon fighters to oil rich nations and blatantly overlook proven corruption.

I am so sick of hearing, watching and reading about one group of people getting it over another group of people.

Is it beyond us to unite as a species to tackle the real threats for the future of us all. Global Warming - Climate Change - Energy Starvation - Population Explosion.

Since the industrial revolution we have grabbed and consumed the world’s resources with all the restraint of a binge-drinker in a distillery !

The seas are bare of fish, oil has peaked and yet we seem intent on charging over the environmental cliff like drug crazed Lemmings. And for most of us, ours is a complicity in this process, through total apathy.

We need to tell the elected leaders of the World what we ordinary, less privileged citizens DEMAND of them. And the great news is, we all have access to the tool to do it - the Internet.

Never before in history has it been possible for people around the world, with just one common thread, humanity, to join together and impose their will on shoddy world leaders. Make your voice heard. Email your friends, wherever they may be. Use blogs, letters to the press, anything and everything available to speak out; but do not do NOTHING. Remember, the dinosaurs were once top of the food chain!

Time to stop and think…and for Homo sapiens to start really living again !

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