International -- Readers Report
Italy's Environmental Nightmare Isn't the Only One
BusinessWeek is to be commended for bringing Italy's environmental mess to the forefront ("Italy and the eco-mafia," European Edition Cover Story, Jan. 27). It's a sad example of what happens when governments, regulatory bodies, and watchdog groups fail. Our dismay at the absence of an outcry should not come as a surprise, though. Fact is, environmental cesspools like those in Italy and gross human-rights violations are common the world over.
Unfortunately, only a scant few are subjected to the level of scrutiny they deserve. Why is this so? So-called environmental and human-rights groups often pay only lip service, at best, to the real scourges and human plights of our time. Instead, many are content to hound SUV drivers, harass innovative corporations, or protest democracies willing to face brutal dictators head on. Thanks to the mainstream media, these watchdog activists find ample publicity by orchestrating such antics or chaining themselves to railroad tracks or sea vessels. So with nobody really watching, gangs and dictators will keep up the mischief.
The media, environmental activists, and other watchdog groups must learn to bark louder at the governments and institutions that fail and not bite the few that succeed. Until then, don't expect real tragedies like those in Italy to go away anytime soon.
Pierre Gosselin
Quakenbrück, Germany
Better Ways for the U.S. to Boost Growth--and Equality
According to "Class warfare?" (European Edition Cover Story, Jan. 20) and Michael J. Mandel's commentary "Deficits? Class warfare? No, it's about growth" (American News, Feb. 3), the Bush tax cuts, which go mainly to the wealthy, reduce inequality. The logic goes like this: The money that is given to the rich increases growth, thereby creating jobs and higher income for the poor, which benefits them, too.
Strong argument, but consider the following thought experiment: Let's give the money to the poor, who have a higher propensity to consume; or, better yet, spend it on their education. This would produce even higher growth, which is also good for the rich. This way, we would not risk being criticized for hypocrisy--and for mixing up poverty with inequality.
Michael Schwarz
Moedling, Austria
President Bush's proposal not to tax dividends may finally provide the impetus for more rectitude in corporate accounting and help return American business to real, as opposed to virtual, profitability. However, it would do little to redistribute the spoils of success. A tax break for companies that balance their distribution of equity ownership, such as occurs in the largest tech companies, would provide a great motivational force, besides sending a message to the upper echelon that greed will not be tolerated.
Stefan Brose
Porto, Portugal
An Education in Ethics Begins at Home
"Why ethics is also B-school business" (Management, Jan. 27), suggests that the way to clean up ethics in corporations (following all the accounting scandals that occurred in 2002) is to start at the beginning of a career at business school. If we have to wait until our children reach business schools to teach them ethics, it's way too late. The place to start teaching ethics is at home, when the child is growing up, supplemented by teaching at school from the earliest years.
Nicolas Saade
Dubai
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