Globalization: What on Earth is it about?
Sometimes it's difficult to swallow the talk that abounds about
globalisation. The internet may be spearheading a global communications
revolution; fashion designers may embrace "ethnic" hues and styles;
McDonald's may spread its restaurants across the globe. Beyond the front
pages, globalisation is a reality that, for better or worse, touches our
lives in ways most us never stop to think about.
McDonald's: More than 25,000 outlets in about 120 countries
Many would certainly say it was a good thing. Increased international trade
has made us wealthier and allowed us to lead more diverse lifestyles.
But the legions of demonstrators now amassing in Prague for the annual
meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank disagree.
The coalition of environmentalists, anti-poverty campaigners, trade
unionists and anti-capitalist groups see the growth of global companies as
raising more problems than it solves.
The "Battle of Seattle" was a landmark for anti-capitalist protestors
The term "globalisation" was first coined in the 1980s, but the concept
stretches back decades, even centuries, if you count the trading empires
built by Spain, Portugal, Britain, and Holland.
Some would say the world was as globalised 100 years ago as it is today,
with international trade and migration.
But the 1930s depression put paid to that. Nation states drew back into
their shell on realising that international markets could deliver untold
misery in the form of poverty and unemployment.
The resolve of Western states to build and strengthen international ties in
the aftermath of World War II laid the groundwork for today's globalisation.
It has brought diminishing national borders and the fusing of individual
national markets. The fall of protectionist barriers has stimulated free
movement of capital and paved the way for companies to set up several bases
around the world.
The rise of the internet and recent advances in telecommunications have
boosted the already surging train.
For consumers and avowed capitalists, this is largely a good thing. Vigorous
trade has made for more choice in the High Street, greater spending, rising
living standards and a growth in international travel.
Asia has a ready supply of cheap labour
And that's just the tip of it. Supporters of globalisation say it has
promoted information exchange, led to a greater understanding of other
cultures and allowed democracy to triumph over autocracy.
But as the street protests against last November's World Trade Organisation
conference in Seattle proved, there is a growing opposition to the forces of
globalisation.
Critics say the West's gain has been at the expense of developing countries.
The already meagre share of the global income of the poorest people in the
world has dropped from 2.3% to 1.4% in the last decade.
But even in the developed world, not everyone has been a winner. The
freedoms granted by globalisation are leading to increased insecurity in the
workplace.
Manual workers in particular are under threat as companies shift their
production lines overseas to low-wage economies.
National cultures and identities are also under threat thanks to the spread
of satellite TV, international media networks and increased personal travel.
In French cinemas, around 70% of filmgoers watch Hollywood movies.
At the heart of their concerns is the fact that huge trans-national
companies are becoming more powerful and influential than
democratically-elected governments, putting shareholder interests above
those of communities and even customers.
Ecological campaigners say corporations are disregarding the environment in
the stampede for mega-profits and marketplace supremacy. Human rights groups
say corporate power is restricting individual freedom.
Even business folk behind small firms have sympathy for the movement, afraid
as they are that global economies of scale will put them out of work.
But the mere fact the debate can take place simultaneously across countries
and continents may well show that celebrated academic Marshall McLuhan's
global village is already here.
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From -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/news
id_711000/711906.stm
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