If....the British held doctrinal views about manifest destiny and the divine right of the Brits to rule others.... and could back this up with Christian scriptures...(which they cannot) then no amount of Ghandis would have made a scrap of difference.. they would just have killed as many as they needed to in order to quell 'infidels' who were opposing their rule.

"But the second half degenerates into an anti-capitalist rant that is long on rhetoric and devoid of facts."

Well here's some facts Rhian and no rants here. These hard facts reveal the appalling inequality between the corporate giants and those who remain in abject poverty despite corporate giants helping themselves to poor people's resources and plundering and polluting their environment.

http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2951

Hmmm.....nothing there to convince me that people have been raised from abject poverty.

http://www.foe.org.au/resources/chain-reaction/chain-reaction-editions/chain-reaction-100/famous-moments-in-foe-history-exposing-the-uranium-cartel-in-1976

More cover-ups by the corporate giants and our esteemed politicians.

http://www.terradaily.com/2007/071009154249.xytavr0w.html

That World Bank mob should be called to account eh?

http://s3.amazonaws.com/corpwatch.org/downloads/Barrick_final_sml.pdf

Ah gawd....it's getting worse!

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:zC-b6pq3XP0J:sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx%3Fid%3D259409+underground+toxic+plume+botany+bay+2006&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=au&lr=lang_en

OMG - Botany Bay? That's Australia isn't it? and that's hexachlorobenzene which has been languishing and leaking into our eco systems for 20 years and the same mob polluting the magnificent Sydney Harbour - free of charge and all!

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKSYD23097020071105?sp=true

And all this happening in the land of the "free!"

"And with the planet edging towards environmental catastrophe, surely it is time to reassess the utter madness of our consumer culture."

I'm with you Brad Pedersen. Unfortunately those who are most influential and adept at capturing our weak and unethical Masters have excluded the environment from their grand plans for continued economic expansion. And the feckless flock will be happy in their work!

Bravo on an excellent article. Gandhi has always been one of my heroes. Like Jesus Christ, he offered almost perfect solutions for an almost perfect world...

DICKIE.....

just out of curiosity...

a) what 'system' do you suggest as an alternative?
b) do you have faith in human nature that said 'system' will instantly solve the problems you mention, and that once 'they' have power they will remain pure and incorrupt ?
c) If you do have a 'system' in mind, can you point to any example in history where it has been implemented, and worked, and succeeded?

d) Do you honestly think there is any system, which can survive the determined attacks of its detractors if they are fixated on wrecking it, aside from mass killings on a scale of Cambodia under Pol Pot?

Why would 'idealistic revolutionaries' be any less prone to the corrupting temptations of power than the current batch..... don't we all share the same nature ?

As an alternative, I'm with Gibo...

PROBLEM:
Our problem is not the 'system'...its the people.

SOLUTION:

Repentance from sin, and faith in Christ Jesus the Messiah of God.

Dare I say 'its new people' who change societies rather than new systems? Today's unrepentant corporate fat cats, could be tomorrows generous humanitarians..

dickie

90% of problems facing poor countries lies with corrupt governments and 10% are caused by multi-national corporations. Many countries that gained independence from their colonial masters are today in a poorer state than before. Millions of $$$$ given as aid to poor countries usually end up in the pockets of some government official.

More must be done to undo globalisation and concentrate on sustained development. In the long run, protectionism serves the world better than free-trade; no global warming, less indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, etc.

The first step is to vote for a political party that espouses protectionism over free trade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionist_Party

Boazy and Philip Tang

The questions you raise are thought-provoking and pose a challenge for me since no doubt you are aware, I am but a simple environmentalist.

You see, I seem to have this fixation on "thinking globally but acting locally" and perhaps I remain too "parochial" to engage in world politics.

The links I've provided relate to the actions of Australian based corporations and their dishonourable behaviour, here and overseas.

These are often corporations revered by our governments - corporations which contribute handsomely to the economic expansion and employment of our people but at what cost to our depleting resources, our eco systems, our community health and the transboundary impact on the planet's environment.

Successful corporations in this nation engage in the reckless abandonment of environmental principles, with flagrant disregard for the conditions of the EPA Acts and continue to dictate to successive state and federal industry aligned governments.

"90% of problems facing poor countries lies with corrupt governments and 10% are caused by multi-national corporations.

I do agree to a large extent Philip Tang, however just one multi-national corporation, paying graft to corrupt officials in a poorer country, can cause irreparable environmental damage to that nation.

These companies are plundering the resources of others and leaving the locals with a big mess, having contaminated their rivers. their lands and their health.

I thoroughly endorse the recommendation of an overseas Australian Mining Ombudsman - an independent watchdog where statutes are implemented in our legislation to prevent Australian based companies destroying the eco systems of poorer countries.

"Repentance from sin, and faith in Christ Jesus the Messiah of God."

Boazy, I know you mean well, however, some of the biggest environmental vandals do have faith in Christ Jesus but appear bereft of conscience when it comes to making a fast buck. Need one look further than Mr Howard et al and his disgraceful non-performance on mitigating pollution?

I and many others are disillusioned with the ethics-free operations of free trade, globalisation and the moral pygmies it attracts.

Yes Philip Tang...... I believe your recommendations may indeed have merit!