From: Ian Hunt (ian.hunt@FLINDERS.EDU.AU)
Date: Tue Nov 14 2006 - 16:58:01 EST
Dear Jerry, From your report, Schmidt seems to have taken up the idea and manner of presentation of a paper written by me and my colleague Rodney Allen, published in the Australian Bulletin of Labour, which is attached, Cheers, Ian ><http://info.interactivist.net/article.pl?sid=06/11/13/194232> > > >WTO Announces Formalized Slavery Market for Africa: >US Trade Representative to Africa, Governor of Nigeria Central Bank Weigh >in at Wharton >Hanniford Schmidt > > Philadelphia - At a Wharton Business School conference on business in >Africa, World Trade Organization representative Hanniford Schmidt >announced the creation of a WTO initiative for "full private stewardry >of labor" for the parts of Africa that have been hardest hit by the 500 >years of Africa's free trade with the West. The initiative will require >Western companies doing business in some parts of Africa to own their >workers outright. > >Schmidt recounted how private stewardship has been successfully applied to >transport, power, water, traditional knowledge, and even the human genome. >The WTO's "full private stewardry" program will extend these successes to >(re)privatize humans themselves. > >"Full, untrammelled stewardry is the best available solution to African >poverty, and the inevitable result of free-market theory," Schmidt told >more than 150 attendees. Schmidt acknowledged that the stewardry program >was similar in many ways to slavery, but explained that just as >"compassionate conservatism" has polished the rough edges on labor >relations in industrialized countries, full stewardry, or "compassionate >slavery," could be a similar boon to developing ones. > >The audience included Prof. Charles Soludo (Governor of the Central Bank >of Nigeria), Dr. Laurie Ann Agama (Director for African Affairs at the >Office of the US Trade Representative), and other notables. Agama prefaced >her remarks by thanking Scmidt for his macroscopic perspective, saying >that the USTR view adds details to the WTO's general approach. Nigerian >Central Bank Governor Soludo also acknowledged the WTO proposal, though he >did not seem to appreciate it as much as did Agama. > >A system in which corporations own workers is the only free-market >solution to African poverty, Schmidt said. "Today, in African factories, >the only concern a company has for the worker is for his or her productive >hours, and within his or her productive years," he said. "As soon as AIDS >or pregnancy hits - out the door. Get sick, get fired. If you extend the >employer's obligation to a 24/7, lifelong concern, you have an entirely >different situation: get sick, get care. With each life valuable from >start to finish, the AIDS scourge will be quickly contained via accords >with drug manufacturers as a profitable investment in human stewardees. >And educating a child for later might make more sense than working it to >the bone right now." > >To prove that human stewardry can work, Schmidt cited a proposal by a >free-market think tank to save whales by selling them. "Those who don't >like whaling can purchase rights to specific whales or groups of whales in >order to stop those particular whales from getting whaled as much," he >explained. Similarly, the market in Third-World humans will "empower" >caring First Worlders to help them, Schmidt said. >(http://www.policynetwork.net/main/article.php?article_id=505) > >One conference attendee asked what incentive employers had to remain as >stewards once their employees are too old to work or reproduce. Schmidt >responded that a large new biotech market would answer that worry. He then >reminded the audience that this was the only possible solution under >free-market theory. > >There were no other questions from the audience that took issue with >Schmidt's proposal. > >During his talk, Schmidt outlined the three phases of Africa's 500- year >history of free trade with the West: slavery, colonialism, and >post-colonial markets. Each time, he noted, the trade has brought >tremendous wealth to the West but catastrophe to Africa, with poverty >steadily deepening and ever more millions of dead. "So far there's a >pattern: Good for business, bad for people. Good for business, bad for >people. Good for business, bad for people. That's why we're so happy to >announce this fourth phase for business between Africa and the West: good >for business - GOOD for people." > >The conference took place on Saturday, November 11. The panel on which >Schmidt spoke was entitled "Trade in Africa: Enhancing Relationships to >Improve Net Worth." Some of the other panels in the conference were >entitled "Re-Branding Africa" and "Growing Africa's Appetite." Throughout >the comments by Schmidt and his three co-panelists, which lasted 75 >minutes, Schmidt's stewardee, Thomas Bongani-Nkemdilim, remained standing >at respectful attention off to the side. > >"This is what free trade's all about," said Schmidt. "It's about the >freedom to buy and sell anything - even people." > > Links > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > 1.. "Hanniford Schmidt" - mailto:schmidt@gatt.org > 2.. "Text, Photos, Video" - http://www.gatt.org/wharton.html > 3.. "Conference Website" - >http://www.whartonglobal.com/africa/panels.asp#Trade > 4.. "Conference Contacts" - http://www.whartonglobal.com/africa/contact.asp -- Associate Professor Ian Hunt, Dept of Philosophy, School of Humanities, Director, Centre for Applied Philosophy, Flinders University of SA, Humanities Building, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Ph: (08) 8201 2054 Fax: (08) 8201 2784
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