WTC.Core.Globalization

CORE ISSUES GLOBALIZATION We have just begun this section and welcome contributions NEW The Globalizer Who Came In From the Cold Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, former Chief Economist of the World Bank Joe Stiglitz explains some dubious globalization techniques International Forum on Globalization (IFG) - alliance seeks to stimulate new thinking about the rapidly emerging economic and political trading arrangements of the global economy. UNESCO MOST, Management of Social Transformations - clearinghouse provides access to reports and best practices in multi-cultural and multi-ethnic societies, urban studies, and globalization. Globalization & Human Rights - companion site to the PBS special focusing on the ongoing debate over whether or not human rights concerns should be linked to economic policies. Economic Policy Institute: Trade and >Globalization - nonpartisan think tank seeks to broaden the public debate about strategies to achieve a prosperous and fair economy. Economic Globalization Resource Guide The Globalist - daily online magazine on the global economy. Articles by in-house analysts and outside contributors explore the many facets of globalization. Human Development Report 1999 - reports that globalization and world development has been inequitable, and that if left unchecked, could harm human health, the environment, and more.

Participant Comments follow below

The pundits of old warned us to pity the nation that does not make its own things or grows its own food for that nation will soon be under the control of the nation that does. For centuries, people gathered together as a nation of people who had common interests, cultures and goals. They made their products and grew their food in balance with all this. The workday was supposed to supply them with their daily needs and have enough left over to support the common good of all. Globalism shatters any cohesion on local or regional levels. With products and food coming from far away places, local entities find that they must then comply with the systems from far away places too. In countries like the USA who set up many entitlements for its citizens that was once supported by its industrial and farm base, now find it more difficult to continue these entitlements as their production, farming and jobs go outside their nation. Massive amounts of money goes to buy things at the retail level and then the money fans out to the places where the products come from. It does not flow downward back to the raw products in their land. There is a lowest common denominator that takes over based on the cheapest labor markets. We find corporations moving to escape the overhead of the entitlements and regulations. A nation like the USA who has stringent ecology regulations soon finds that companies move to other places where there are fewer restrictions. Many act as if there is some kinds of walls straight up into the universe to stop pollution moving from one country to another. The international organizations step in to control events but deny individual nations their rights in any process. Things are done without the consent of workers. The democratic processes are challenged. Following this countries like the USA find that they have to protect their interests across the globe and a new kind of economic colonialism arises. This type of Globalism evolves into wars and terrorism as we see today. In the end, the advanced nations have to take a step down. Working poor classes are created in these nations. When the workers turn consumers, they find that they do not make enough to buy even the cheaper imports. In the cheaper labor markets, the workers find that they do not even make enough money to buy the very things they make. We have new automobile factories without parking lots because the workers can not afford to buy the cars they make. It takes a month's income for a worker in a NIKE factory to buy the shoes they make. These workers have no money to buy the things countries like the USA has left to sell. It is a race to the lowest level for all in the world. Globalism now has a history. It is not something new. This history covering the last fifteen years shows that is a failure. As Franklin Roosevelt said, economic diseases are highly communicable. Today these "diseases" are an epidemic causing wars and terrorism. The great need of our times is the need for real jobs and not wars. See more at Tapart Real News and Art that Talks at http://yestapart.bizland.com/tapartnews/ or http://tapsnewstory.filetap.com Tapart News Editor arklineart@yahoo.com 10/16/03 21:44:30 GMT

In terms of cultural diversity, I'd rather that globalization doesn't force western culture on the less developped countries. Sure, you can say that with globalization the cultures are more open to eachother, but it still dilutes the strong sense of culture no matter what. It's really cliche. People don't know what they've got 'till it's gone. Plus, globalization basically teaches less developped nations that their way of life is insufficient in the modern world. I'm not saying globalization is a horrible thing, but preserving the various world cultures is an important point to look at during the process. Jacki 12/08/02 16:12:42 GMT

I think if globalization is done right it can be a very positive thing. Bringing in less developed countries to share in the trade and wealth of more developed nations... a win-win situation... When you talk to various people in other nations they are more interested in getting on a better economic footing... they see what we have and they want some of that too... and they won't be as interested in improving things in terms of the enviroment and human rights - and we in the developed world will be somewhat hypocritical to ask them to - until we help them go a ways in this direction. Just a couple thoughts... I just don't agree with the idea that globalization is bad period. Mariposa 10/15/01 12:16:19 MDT