Republicans & Conservatives: Archives

Well, I wouldn’t quite describe it as a fact that’s “mentioned.” Mr. LeGrain makes a thorough and well-informed argument that globalization is a fact, not an ideology, and that it can be a beneficial process. And LeGrain is certainly right to point out that cultural globalization has hardly touched Americans at all, who remain on the whole largely ignorant of the world outside our borders.

But focusing on the antiglobalization fringe and “cultural pessimists” is to tilt at straw men (to mix a metaphor): the question being raised by serious observers of the phenomenon is which version of economic globalization we’ll have? Global free trade is hardly free at this point, and the global markets are widely perceived as rigged. American and European corporations are resented elsewhere because the economic benefits of their foreign operations accrue to the benefit of American and European stakeholders and not to the nations where the operate. The protectionist trade practices of the United States are especially resented, and its currently policies are viewed as an attempt to create a Greater American Co-Prosperity Sphere in which the corporate patrons of the current administration will be the main beneficiaries.

Probably the main outcome of cultural globalization and the prevalence of English outside the Anglosphere is that the rest of the world understands us far better than we understand it. Yes, it’s not the Americanness of our culture that is resented and resisted; it’s the extent to which we Americans have complacently allowed our representative institutions to be progressively dominated by multinational corporate interests. What will your party do to improve its tarnished reputation as the lapdog of corporate interests that has presided over the largest transfer of wealth to the wealthiest in American history, exploding the federal deficit, eroding civil liberties and lying to the public about its reasons for war in Iraq? To the rest of the world, these are signs that America is becoming less American: less of the democratic ideal it was once admired all over the world for being.

Whatever happend to self determination? For individuals as well as nations?

Why are smaller less fortunate nations being herded into the global village whether they want to or not?

I see globalization as those fortunate, wealthy and powerful few telling the less fortunate, poor and weak to “Take the medicine, it will be good for you. We can help you exploit your resources and people. We can help you enrich your wealthy ruling class. We can provide jobs to your working class to increase the profits of our international conglomerate.”

Of course there will be winners and the integration of nations around the planet is inevitable, But the downside is great when the few decide for the many.

I see it is as international arm twisting.Those nations who choose to follow their own path will be the losers.

Globalism is NOT cross fertilization of cultures.