Ethicist Singer says America lacking in global ethics

By Tim Krohn
The Free Press

MANKATO March 23, 2006 12:44 am

— Most discussions about the relatively new concept of a global economy have focused on things like trade agreements. Renowned ethicist Peter Singer wants the United States to consider its ethical obligations in the new world community.
“What the United States does and decides on these moral questions has enormous influence on how things go in the world,” Singer told an audience of several hundred people in Mankato.
No matter what ethical philosophy you choose to adhere to, Singer suggests they will all lead to the same conclusion: That America, with its extensive wealth, should do much more than it is to better the rest of the world.
From climate change and international law to free trade and foreign aid, Singer outlined general ethical rules he believes countries of the world — led by America’s example — need to follow.
While there is not enough solid data to know if free trade via the World Trade Organization has helped the very poorest in the world, Singer said he believes open global trading has most likely been ethically just and has helped most poor people.
He said there is an argument by some that residents of very poor countries are only seeing their economic standing increase by a few percentage points while wealthy people have seen dramatic financial gains.
Singer argued that even small benefits to the very poorest people are dramatic — perhaps the difference between life and death.
As for the loss of American jobs to other countries, Singer gave an opinion that was met with a few scoffs from some in the crowd.
He said Americans losing jobs are likely to find different work, and even if they don’t they would never be as bad off as people in much of the rest of the world. Meanwhile, he said the workers in India, China or elsewhere who are getting those outsourced jobs — even at lower wages — are seeing dramatic improvements in their lives and their families’ lives.
“I have to say, if you take this broad ethical view, it’s not such a bad thing,” to have American jobs outsourced.
He said the United States could, without sacrificing much, significantly improve the standard of living for the poorest people across the globe.
Singer noted that polls consistently show that more than half of Americans believe the United States’ budget contains too much foreign aid spending. But those same Americans are grossly mistaken on how much aid America actually gives.
Polls show that Americans believe about 20 percent of the federal budget goes to foreign aid. Those same Americans say that about 10 percent would be a better number.
In reality, just 1 percent of the federal budget goes to foreign aid.
“As the wealthiest nation we ought to be giving substantially more aid,” Singer said.
Singer also argued that the United States is obligated to dramatically reduce its use of fossil fuels. That’s partly because of global warming and because more countries need scarce fossil fuels as they develop.
“The U.S. has an obligation to take pretty drastic measures when it comes to global warming.”
He was critical of President Bush for failing to join in international efforts to reduce global warming and for boasting that the United States would not reduce its use of gasoline because “it’s an American way of life.”
He said the refusal to do more “shows a lack of global ethics.”
Singer, author of dozens of books, including “One World: The Ethics of Globalization,” gave the annual Business Ethics Lecture at Minnesota State University Wednesday night.
Singer, 59, was born in Australia. He holds part-time positions as an ethics professor at Princeton University and at the University of Melbourne. He was named by Time Magazine as among the 100 most influential people.
Singer holds a utilitarian ethical philosophy, based on the concept of maximizing happiness and pleasure and minimizing suffering.

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