HUMAN DIGNITY AND THE MARKET Part I

HUMAN DIGNITY AND THE MARKET

Part I

For long time I had planned to write a blog about this subject matter but after watching the Four Corners program on ABC1 some weeks ago about trade in human organs (mainly kidneys) I said to myself its now or never.

Source: HBO

In brief the ABC program focused on two prominent nephrologists, one in Istanbul Turkey and the other in Tel Aviv Israel.  The kidneys were purchased from the impoverished in various towns in the Philippine through agents.  The agents, normally middle aged women with iphone awaiting message specifying the required matching particulars of the recipient’s either in USA, Canada, Australia, or Western Europe.  The program also focused on all the players involved in the game resulting in the kidney transplant industry.  One transaction involved young married man with two children aged five years or under both bare footed.  This man said that he was told he will get $2,000 for his kidney and showed the scars from the operation telling the interviewer that he had sold his kidney for $2,000 which he thought he will get.  Unbeknown to this man was the cut of the agent‘s fees of some $600 leaving him with $1,400 for which he appeared grateful.  Another man who sold one of his kidneys for similar amount said his other kidney was now failing and he was in moderate state of renal failure. Neither the Turkish nor the Israeli nephrologists had any compunction with either the transaction or the fees they received undertaking the operations.  To quote the Israel nephrologists: ‘one puts a price on human life and death?’ Perhaps not but officially the trade in human organs is illegal.  Despite the fact both nephrologists were arrested they walked out of court unscathed and both were continuing their busy profession.

Is there any aspect of humanity that distinguishes a human being from God’s other creatures that is still sacred or sacrosanct not caught up with market forces and can not be purchased with money?  Such things as cherished memories, community values, friendship, neighborhood, believes, secrets other things that distinguish us human?  Probably not!  If someone sees the dollar sign ($), a dollar to be made he or she will either get the story through the written or visual media now days transmitted globally through the iphone.  Oscar Wilde once said: ‘one may know the price of everything but the value of nothing’.   That comment is resoundingly true in 21^st Century. 

What's a life worth? Who determines this?

If one leave it to market forces one is taking out the judgmental argument as the market is neutral.  How could market forces put a value on a house in a village or a farm in which one’s ancestors were born and worked, ancestral inheritance - walls, ceilings, doors and window that saw generations after generations of the same family imprint their individual stamps on them?   The obvious answer is the last bid on the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer! The bones, or whatever left of them, of the great, great grandparents will writhe in their resting place.

In the next blog I will deal with the question of market forces, supply and demand, and whether any spot left for human values and dignities that distinguish the human race from other animals and plants whose sustenance is dependent on sun, water, air and soil.

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