Book Review

Book Title: The Age of Consent: Manifesto for a New World Order
Author: George Monbiot

If anyone still thinks that the world is living on an equal distribution of wealth, a just economic system (or that economic systems are unbiased and objective), or otherwise severely ignorant of current world order, this book shatters every illusion you had. This is quasi-essentially a manifesto advocating a radical change in global political-economic systems, where a reigning hegemony by rich nations dictate the austerity in the poverty of poor nations and abet a sordid oligopolistic hierarchy that expedites the wealth of rich corporations/nations by "sucking the resources of defenseless nations". It is hard to criticize a book when one lacks the expertise but there is no doubt the ideas presented have been carefully thought of, considered and palatble (except to rich nations) to anyone who is wont to changing the insensate abuse by politically incorrect nations.

There is one question left unanswered, though not necessarily in this book. That is, why should we care? The last chapter makes a seemingly urgent call/harangue for immediate action, which is the missing ingredient in this global war for fair political-economic trade. Even for many enthuasists, the author notes that an insufficient participation by many unconcerned is an incipient problem. This abject condition exculpates any moral conscience for change.

I am left to wonder, how can I systematically propose a moral philosophical argument for the formation of a social conscious to care for the people of poor nations. Suffice to say, now I am ostensibly relying on an intuitive moral propensity to care for people even despite never knowing them. How can one convince others to imprecate a similar investment? This question I will answer another day.