Summary
The problem of the gap between the poor and the rich seems to be an eternal problem. It is common when countries with abundant natural resources cannot use their rights and enjoy social benefits due to fraudulent corporate practices. Thus, the Stealing Africa documentary leaves the question of the morality of huge companies open.
Stealing Africa shows a wide range of interconnected moral lapses. First, it is making profits at the expense of developing countries. Glencore, a Switzerland-based company, extracts natural resources from Zambia and finds various ways to avoid paying taxes to the Zambian government (The Why, 2013). Consequently, African countries do not have enough budget and continue to live in poverty (The Why, 2013). Second, the Zambian people suffer from water contamination and serious air pollution. Third, bribery is the problem that perpetuates the hardships of the Zambian citizens and economy. Thus, a chain of causes and effects makes the situation highly complicated.
It is difficult to argue that moral dilemmas in the documentary are insignificant because they result in a decent level of life and income for European citizens. One of the main points here is that the people of the countries that export copper do not receive the benefits from natural resource extraction (The Why, 2013). In addition, it is unfair that investors, company owners, and politicians earn billions but provide some humanitarian help instead of creating conditions for employment.
The most serious is the violation of the rights of the Zambian citizens. Each person worldwide has the right to a healthy environment and education, which is problematic in Zambia (The Why, 2013). This issue must be addressed, though it seems complicated because of investors who avoid paying taxes.
Despite the assumption that companies also have rights, they should have paid attention to their obligations. Conducting transparent business has to be a priority of giant multinational corporations. Moreover, they must bear social and environmental responsibility by preventing large-scale harm to people living near the operation areas. Considering the problems raised in the film, one can admit that companies often tend to abuse their rights because the owners think that they can always buy freedom from liability and jail.
Introducing a particular set of policies that would help combat environmental issues or tax fraud can be challenging and still not enough. It was clearly shown in the documentary that the attempts to alter legislation to make corporate financial operations more transparent turned out to be forceless (The Why, 2013). The reason is greedy company owners and ignorant and bribed politicians representing Zambia (The Why, 2013). Therefore, it would be useful to implement combined policies concerning transparent practices in investments, taxes, and corporate governance.
In conclusion, Stealing Africa gives a vivid example of dishonest corporate practices. It raises moral and ethical concerns regarding bribery, the environment, rights, and other issues that require a complex solution. Although it is possible to implement measures in a certain problematic area, they will hardly change the attitudes of company owners and politicians.
Notes
- The richness of company owners and investors at the expense of the people in developing countries;
- Developing countries can be wealthy and poor at the same time;
- Multinational companies, as well as investors, are likely to avoid paying profit taxes;
- Artificial manipulation of prices, bribery, corruption, and money laundering;
- Dishonest practices often lead to environmental concerns, such as water contamination and pollution;
- Poor state representation because of incompetent and corrupted politicians;
- Balancing between being subservient to investors and attempting to satisfy the basic social and educational needs of people;
- Paying more taxes complicates the indirect creation of jobs;
- Investors can refuse to conform to new tax legislation;
- Many involved parties, such as international organizations and other countries, would rather maintain the status quo instead of taking action.
Reference
The Why (2013). Stealing Africa [Video]. YouTube. Web.