Globalization refers to the integration across the world arising from the interchange of products, aspects of culture, world views and ideas. Advances in telecommunication and transportation, rise of the internet are some of the major factors in globalization, harnessing more interdependence of cultural and economic activities.
Cons of globalization
According to Steger, there are five claims of market globalization and justice globalization. The first claim is global integration and liberalization of markets. He states that globalism begins with an ideology that attempts to establish a self-regulating market that serves as a model for future global order. The idea offers integration and liberalization of global markets as a natural happening that propagates further material progress and individual progress in the world. Globalists use governments to remove social policies that curtail the global market; this facilitates the free flow of capital, goods and services. Globalists’ agenda is to better themselves and fool the masses making this a disadvantage for globalization.
Steger’s second claim is globalization is irreversible and inevitable. Technology innovations spread the irreversibility and inevitability of market forces. People must forcefully embrace the detrimental logic of globalization as the strength of the economy depends on other forces. According to Hermano de Soto’s paper wall theory, most of the humanity never thinks of the architects of globalization who let people work and live. Therefore, people have to create value through trade in the face of bureaucratic obstacles. The world is full of corruption, and exclusive laws; people must act according to sets of regulations that fulfill globalists’ world market rules. Moreover, the irresistibility of globalization is inscribed within an evolutionary process that assigns certain countries privileged positions of market control in the global economy.
Pros of globalization
The third claim offers a peculiar advantage to globalization. Steger claims that no one is in charge of globalization. He postulates that human actions might significantly affect globalization, but the real agents of globalization are technology and markets. The beauty of globalization is no one truly controls it and this is a major advantage. The fourth claim states that globalization benefits everyone. This claim affirms that globalization is a good thing. Globalists say that there are many benefits from market liberation: individual freedom, global rising standards of living, economic efficiency and improved technology. Globalists argue that the market will correct any irregular global distribution patterns. The last claim states that globalization spreads democracy across the world. Globalists claim that the emergence and growth of new businesses in communist nations is a result of globalization and should be seen as the background of democracy. After a thorough investigation, the five claims reveal that globalization has a firmer grip than what is observed on the face value and that is why there is resistance from terror groups such as Al Qaeda.
Milton Friedman, on the other hand, states that globalization is a phenomenon shaped by global capitalism. He states that, after the Cold War era, the world changed to one of globalization demonstrated through the democratization of technology, information and finance. He says that these democratizations have transformed the way the world communicates and invests. Democratization of information is characterized by how people across the globe now access information. Nations are now finding it increasingly difficult to bar people from accessing important information concerning life in other nations. Democratization of technology is through innovations in telecommunications, computerization and digitization that have made communication across the world easier. People across the world can now share ideas, news and money faster and easily. Democratization of finance depends on the democratization of technology because it changed the way the entire world invests. Thanks to globalization, everyone now has the power to invest worldwide.
Globalization causes Homogeneity
Globalization has made the world increasingly homogeneous through the homogenized popular culture cultivated by Hollywood, Milan, London and New York thus promoting the western culture globally. The fact that Palestinian youth proudly wear their Miami heat sweatshirts and Gucci outfits connotes their attraction to the western culture. At this rate, the cultural diversity of the world will vanish as virtually the whole world is inclined to the western trends. It is evident that cultural globalization has brought major shifts in individuals consciousness.
