So while researching for this assignment, I came around a very interesting quote that made me question everything from what are our roles as individuals in society to improve the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves to having that 'inescapable' subconcious which makes each and every one of us a global citizen.
Here's the quote:
[T]he emergence of capitalism represents a culture that is in many ways the
most successful that has ever been deployed in terms of accomodating large
numbers of individuals in relative and absolute comfort and luxury. It has
not been successful, however, in intergrating all in equal measure, and its
failure here remains one of its major problems. It has solved the problems
of feeding large numbers of people (although certainly not all), and it has
provided unprecedented advances in health and medicine (but, again, not for
all). It has promoted the development of amazingly complex technological
instruments and fostered a level of global communication without precedent.
It has united people in common pursuits as has no other culture. Yet it
remains to be seen when the balance sheet is tallied whether capitalism represents the epitome of "progresss" that some claim.
- Richard H. Robbins, Global Problems and the Culture of
Capitalism (Allyn and Bacon, 1999), p.11-12
The last time I checked, the CEO of that U.S. multinational company had just received a large salary raise...but at whose expense? How about the low-income earning wage earner in the developing country which the same multinaitonal company has a factory. Don't get me wrong, but globalisation too has good points. It's just a matter of whose side you're arguing from.
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“We welcome the process of globalisation. It is inescapable and irreversible.…” However, “…if globalisation is to create real peace and stability across the world, it must be a process benefiting all. It must not allow the most economically and politically powerful countries to dominate and submerge the countries of the weaker and peripheral regions. It should not be allowed to drain the wealth of smaller countries towards the larger ones, or to increase inequality between richer and poorer regions.”
- Nelson Mandela
What do you think? Not just about capitalism but the bull and hypocrisy of free trade ideologies that are meant to ensure equal economic benefits for everyone? Leave a comment!
So how can we help solve these issues? Former Chief Economist of the World Bank, former Chariman of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors and Nobel prize winner Joseph Sitlitz recommends that the rules of global capitalism to be radically altered and if we fail to change these rules, the gap between the world's rich and poor and social inequalities will continue to exist.
ReplyDeleteI think the process of globalisation has taken place at such a rapid speed that people haven't had the time to adapt to it and we see that in the disparities between the haves and have nots.
ReplyDeleteIts true that we need to revise the rules of global capitalism, (something which has benefited greatly from globalisation) but how truly independent will that process be if the those with the money and power can influence how things are shaped and what happens when they decide to use all their power to buck the guidelines?
We should change the rules but they have to be enforced by an independent but equally representative governing body that means business. I mean the UN could do just that but look what happened with the war in Iraq, the US went in anyway despite what the UN said.
I guess its a highly problematic situation.
Spowf,
ReplyDeleteI agree that globalisation is inevitable and for it to be fairer, developing and under-developed nations need to band together in order to have the weight to challenge power-houses such as the US. Too often these small (economically) nations try to deal with large nations on an individual basis, which is bull shit because they get railroaded as they need trade with large nations more so than the other way around.
I don't believe in free trade where nation-parties have economically disparate conditions, instead I believe the World Trade Organisation (WTO), for all its flaws, is the best avenue open for small nations to bargain as a collective (one vote one value) and have globalisation benefit them. If there was more dialogue between the small nations, more coordinated bargaining they could really change the rules of globalisation.
The Bible predicts a "One World" or "One Nation". Thats when every single country will unite under one banner. Globalization intact is a movement towards that goal, for every single nation to trade equally and fairly.
ReplyDeleteNow.....it starts by Super Powers extenting their borders and trade internationally. They make trade agreements which most times favour the super powers. For example, the EU making trade agreements with the Pacifci Inlands Nation....the trade agreements favours alot on EU.
For smaller nations to be able to "make a difference" or "have a voice", they need to all bend together. I don't see a bigger nation bending with smaller one...because it will have more say. I only see the need of smaller nations pulling together.
The Pacific Island Nations must pull together so they can all support each other. If they don't do that quickly.....they will be overtaken by a bigger player in the economy.
So you see the connection now?? Smaller nations coming together, later forming packs and alliance with the larger nations...and eventually.....we all are "ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY"
The pace that globalization is going right now....we in PNG have skipped some of the important eras. The pace is picking up and we are trying to gasp it and to be part of the larger world.
While england has move from subsistance to agriculture economy to indusrial economy and now to computer age economy....Papua New Guinea has jumped from agriculture straight to computer economy. We have missed the important part that will be the backbone of our economy...."industrialization"
Globalization has forced us to move that fast and to rely on someones industrial economy....we got nothing...
...mE 2cents
Hi Spowf,
ReplyDeleteWe are clearing permission for a work tentatively entitled Sec 4 Social Studies Revision Guide (2nd Edition) by Goh Phay Yen. It is an assessment book for use by upper secondary students.
The above cartoon was found on your blog (http://spowf.blogspot.com/2007/10/capitalism-globalisation-and-free-trade.html). Please let me know if you own the rights to the cartoon before I send you the details of my request.
Thank you for your kind assistance. As the book will be going into print in July, I would be grateful for a reply as soon as possible.
Raven Shen (Ms)
Editor
Singapore Schools Publishing
Pearson Education
Hi Raven,
ReplyDeleteNo I do not have the rights to the cartoon...if you look closer you can see the author's signature on it. It's by Nicholson.
Good luck with the assessment book.
Let me know if you need any more help.
Cheers,
Spowf