Reflections

Regarding the economy servicing persons and peoples

Do not lose sight of the axis of an economy being at the service of persons and peoples, instead of conceiving it just as an accumulation mechanism—the cup instead of spilling over gets larger. We must consider the economy as an indispensable instrument for politics being able to generate concrete opportunities. Thus, in more vulnerable neighborhoods an intelligent presence of the State is needed to provide for jobs in places where drug criminality is willing to offer “work.”

Curas Villeros (slum priests) from Buenos Aires Metropolitan Region

 

Regarding fiscal evasion and elusion of transnational enterprises

The recent Apple case, where the European Commission ordered Irish fiscal authorities to recover 14.5 billion dollars from Apple for unpaid taxes, has once again drawn attention to the phenomena of fiscal evasion and elusion by transnational enterprises. In Ireland, modest-income taxpayers that respect the law are shocked by the news regarding Apple having paid no more than 0.005% in corporate taxes over benefits registered in Ireland in 2014.

Claudine Gaidoni

 

Regarding livestock farming as environmental contaminant

In addition to the emissions from fossil fuels, other industry that is a large emitter of greenhouse gases and, thus, a key driver in climate change, is livestock farming. This industry globally generates more greenhouse-gas emissions than the exhaust gases of all the vehicles of the world combined. According to FAO, they represent 14.5% of all the anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions.

Ernesto van Peborgh