Swine flu and global justice
Last week I investigated the philosophical debate underlying President Obama’s decision to authorize US Navy SEALS to rescue a pirate-held captain off the coast of Somalia. Among the questions Obama had to consider (consciously or not) was whether one may give priority to the interests of compatriots over foreigners. This is the fundamental question in debates surrounding global justice, and it arises everywhere we look.
This week, swine flu dominates the nation’s attention. Jake and Sam have written on government’s responsibility to respond to the swine flu outbreak. But if you accept that there is a responsibility, another question follows: does it end at our country’s borders? In other words, do we also have a responsibility to help prepare, prevent and respond to a swine flu (or other infectious disease) outbreak in a foreign country? And how does this responsibility rank next to the responsibility to our fellow citizens? Is it subordinate? Or equal?
I could post every day about public policy debates that hinge on (or are at least greatly influenced by) this core global justice question. I won’t boar you (hah) with a daily reprise of the compatriot priority question, but suggest you figure out which side you fall on – the implications are far reaching.
-Marc
Related posts:
- A place where justice can’t exist
- Freedom in the face of pandemics
- Arrrrrr….pirates and principles
- Justice? Yes, but at what cost?
- Financial transparency and distributive justice
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