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Why shouldn’t the wealthy nations feel collective guilt over being the primary beneficiaries of Africa’s vast mineral wealth?
by smadge 8y ago
Why shouldn’t the wealthy nations feel collective guilt over being the primary beneficiaries of Africa’s vast mineral wealth?
- toasterlovin 8y agoBecause it’s immoral to assign collective responsibility for the actions of individuals.
- smadge 8y agoMaybe I am misusing the definitions of individual versus collective. I’m not saying arbitrary United States citizens should be criminally punished for indirectly benefiting from the geopolitical arrangement they were born into. Besides the average resident has very little control over these matters, despite nominally living in a democracy. On the other hand, from an ethical perspective we can’t turn a blind eye to injustice. For example I do feel personally uneasy about the fact that I’m writing this comment on a phone containing coltan and gold that drives the demand for these minerals and funds corruption and conflict in Africa.