What individuals can do

Comment on "The tragedy is wealth polarization" (China Daily, Aug 9)

The author's reflection is welcome. But in my opinion, wealth polarization is a law in capitalism rather than a tragedy. Tragedy sounds like you could prevent it.

When a banker is allowed to bet 50 billion euros in a day on the stock market in the name of "innovation" and can bring down a bank or rip off hundreds of thousands of the middle class, then we have reached a stage of financial capitalism that seems to bring the world as we know it down.

A carbon dioxide ppm of 400 hasn't been seen on this planet before, but it seems inevitable in a world run by 1 percent of its people for profits. Hopefully, humankind will realize the danger of the current path and, out of its self-interest, stop the 1 percent from destroying the environment.

One among 7 billion people cannot change the world, but in symbiosis we can. So the task at hand is to show and teach people what big issues are at stake. Then out of self-interest people will choose to cooperate. Here the media play a central role.

What we individuals can do is to seek the truth, explain it to others, and play one's own part in walking the talk.

Michael Hermann, via e-mail

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(China Daily 08/17/2012 page9)