The Great Globalisation Debate:
 

I'm sure most of us are cracking down on exams (or just finishing) and probably in "brain mode" retaining all kinds of useful information....plus there hasn't been any of these threads around in a while.

As the world become more globalized, do you feel there are enough measures being taken to meet some of the fundamental ideals such as environmental protection and democracy? Are Non-Governmental agencies such as the IMF doing enough to decrease inequality or are their actions serving the multinational corporations that are becoming increasingly powerful...what are your thoughts and opinions on such a broad topic as globalisation...

ARYA has some good thought on this subject, I hope he signs in-

Economics-I don't like the fact that our economy is so tightly bound to other countries. It can be a domino effect. When there's an earthquake in Taiwan, our economy takes a hit because a "chip" factory is damaged. Or if Argentina can't get their inflation under control, or Japan for that matter, we suffer the consequences. We give so much foreign aid and yet our own Americans suffer. We prosecute our citizens when they fail to pay their taxes(some honestly CAN'T) yet forgive BILLIONS in debts to other countries for political purposes.

Agriculture-We have farmers, the cornerstones of American life and freedom, losing their land because of "cheap food" being produced in other countries.Who buys this land? Corporations. We can put an embargo on country A only to sell our grain to country B for cheap. Then country B will turn right around and sell that very grain to country A at a profit. Our food should not be used in foreign policy to the detriment of our own people.

Manufacturing-Look at the Firestone fiasco. We don't have the factories to produce our own goods anymore! All our manufacturing companies have moved out for cheap labor. That's why no one could get TIRES!

Technology-We share (as in farming) and we lose! No matter WHAT it is, cheap labor will always win out and something created in America will be reproduced cheaper somewhere else. India is a rising star in technology/software area. Will we have to choose between India and Pakistan due to Kashmire?

NAFTA-Don't get me started on THIS! Why can Mexican truck drivers bring to our highways, trucks that would fail American inspection laws? We have brakeless, leaking carriers driven by people who can't read a road sign!

Diplomacy-Why didn't those Israelis share the information they had on the Sept. 11th attacks? After ALL we have done for THEM!
If we can't share this "global" information gathering with our "friends", who can we trust?
Open boarders-well THIS should be self evident.
Why do we support the activities of Israel anyway when in some cases, they are in the wrong! (IMHO, the Palestinians have a real issue.) I know this is a tender subject.

ONE GOOD POINT-If we can really unite and make a concerted GLOBAL effort to get rid of these "weapons of mass destruction",
it may well be worth the price! The operaive word remains "IF".

Of course these are isolated examples and there are tons that support the other side. These are a FEW reasons why I think we have gone to far in Globalization, thereby, putting our own citizens at a disadvantage.

My brain is kind of fried since I had a 2 hour political debate w/ Mr 33's friend last night at 3 in the morning, but I have one thing to say: NAFTA blows.

Another factory in the Johnstown/Altoona area of PA (where I am originally from) just closed because it's cheaper for the sleazebags of VF to ship the work to Mexico. This is putting a lot of older women who have been there all their lives out of work. Many of them do not even have high school diplomas and now they're being thrown back into the work force at age 50 - 55. And they have to continue to work - retirement is not an option.

It pisses me off no end to see a company that has gotten so rich selling its products to women, can be allowed to treat women like this. NAFTA needs to go far away and NOW.

ditto nafta
 

there are ugly times on the border right now. between nafta and the twin factory concept with things made cheaper at slave wages over the border, a lot of folks are in a world of hurt.
i find it interesting that so many companies were so vulnerable after sept. 11. for example, the airlines....
is that economy so shaky?
i don't know. i know a lot of my students' parents are out of work and my kids also are getting layed off.
sigh
mmcat
:o :eek: :confused:

...well I can't comment on the affect that NAFTA has had on mexican-border patrols. One of the fundamental aims of increasing trade in situations involving trade agreements of one country that is more wealthier than the other is to increase the living standards of the latter so that things like this won't happen.
Also, NAFTA is not nearly evolved as the E.U. which has expanded to become regional governance - fortress europe - with aims to protect and develop each individual member at the cost of non-european countries.


Economics-I don't like the fact that our economy is so tightly bound to other countries. It can be a domino effect. When there's an earthquake in Taiwan, our economy takes a hit because a "chip" factory is damaged. Or if Argentina can't get their inflation under control, or Japan for that matter, we suffer the consequences. We give so much foreign aid and yet our own Americans suffer. We prosecute our citizens when they fail to pay their taxes(some honestly CAN'T) yet forgive BILLIONS in debts to other countries for political purposes.

two points: yes the economy is globally tied-together, however because more markets and more people comprise the int'l economy the variation of market trends are less severe. Instead of having longer boom and bust periods, it's more balanced, boom and bust periods are shorter and not as long. This presents overall greater stability.

second point: Because organizations like the IMF setup unjust borrowing policies, the loans they gave did more harm than good. Even the World Bank's own study shows that 54 % of the people in twenty-eight borrowing countries experienced stagnating per capita income, rising poverty, and declining life expectancy. I would also like to state the the largest debtor to the UN still remains the U.S.

It seems a consistent theme among western countries is the relocation of labour to developing countries. I really don't see this as a flaw of trade agreements as more of a lack of control on transnational corporations. Companies have such a great extensive amount of resources that their power of mobility is remarkable. This, coupled with the power of soveriengty over governments allows them to move shop to anywhere in the world. As soon as one region becomes unfavorable because of newly-implemented tax laws, or whatever, they can quickly setup operations half-way across the world. When this happens public backlash occurs in the former country which can take the form of boycotts, advocacy groups to pressure governments or other forms. I don't buy Nike shoes because of the civics involved during slave labour conditions in production - i don't buy the shoes because I'm not paying 100+ for something that cost 47 cents. You have the choice as a consumer to affect these corporations, since all the goods that are produced under these conditions are sold back to the 1st world.

Alright before you read too much into what i'm saying...i'm not here to suggest any radical movements involving a take down on capitalism, i'm all for it just as much as the other guy...but one thing's for sure, the amount of money these companies have today is simply staggering. FORD is wealthier than a great number of countries in the world today.