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Globalization Essay, Research Paper

THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE

SIDES OF GLOBALIZATION

INTRODUCTION

Globalization is a word we are hearing more often these days. Thomas L. Friedman, author of The Lexus and the Olive Tree, describes globalization as a movement that enables individuals, corporations, and countries to reach around the globe farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before. It is the spread of free market capitalism to virtually every country in the world. With current technological advancements, globalization has become more accessible. Businesses can now manage overseas operations with more control through the use of the Internet and improved telecommunications. Globalization has many characteristics that can benefit some countries while undermining others. To some, globalization is bringing choices and opportunities, while to others it is a disruptive force that threatens lives, jobs, and traditions. In a global economy markets are without boundaries. Free market capitalism is the driving idea behind globalization. As a result, countries that are willing to participate in the global marketplace are encouraged to open their economy to free trade, privatization, and competition.

Disadvantages of Globalization

Every issue has positive and negative points. Despite the promising progress that the global economy promotes, it is surprising that millions of people do not look at globalization in a positive light. Organizations like the Teamsters, the Gray Panthers,

French Farmers, radical street artists, AFL-CIO (labor unions), anarchists, consumer advocates, human rights activists and Turtle habitat advocates are strongly opposing globalization. Why would so many groups oppose something that can be beneficial to every nation? Human rights advocates argue that multinational corporations erode human rights in poorer countries by establishing sweatshops to benefit their business. According to Business Week s April 24th cover issue, human rights and student groups said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank prop up regimes that condone sweatshops and pursue policies that bail out foreign leaders at the expense of local economies. In addition, globalization would bring massive population shifts from rural to urban areas, which will cause poverty, famine, ethnic friction, and degradation of living and working conditions.

Environmental groups also feel that globalization could cause environmental deterioration. Environmentalists argue that elitist trade and economic bodies make undemocratic decisions that undermine national sovereignty on environmental regulation (Bernstein: 38). They are concerned that companies operating abroad are taking advantage of the weak environmental laws in the poorer countries. They believe that companies who are polluting the environment are not being penalized the way they would if they were operating in the wealthier nations. Furthermore, the accelerated invasion of the earth s remaining wilderness, brings a loss of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources, and the breakdown of the planet s life support systems. This breakdown is already evident in ozone destruction, global warming, loss of species and habitat, depletion of forests and oceans, and the loss of the lands and rights of native peoples. Also environmentalists fear the destructive ecological effects of unchecked globalization, which can threaten the national and local cultures and the sanctity of tradition. For example, the peacefulness and simplicity in undeveloped countries could gradually fade upon the spread of globalization.

Globalization is also causing fear to millions of workers in the richer nations. They fear losing their jobs to labor imports or production shifts abroad. The Economic Report of the President, for example, released in February, barely mentions trade related job losses, yet Commerce Department statistics imply that about one million workers lose their jobs every year as a result of imports or job shifts abroad (Bernstein: 38). They assume that due to competition and earning more profits in mind, companies will move their production facilities to poorer countries where labor is cheap. At General Electric Co., for example, CEO John F. Welch has for years been pushing his operating units to drive down costs by globalizing production. At first that meant moving appliance factories to low-wage countries such as Mexico, where GE now employs 30,000 people (Bernstein: 38). Furthermore, anti-globalization groups criticize globalization for cultural homogenization. Some critics argue that the expansion of trade could cause smaller and weaker countries to lose their cultural identities.

Advantages of Globalization

Although many activist groups are quick to point out the faults of globalization, people will often fail to acknowledge the advantages of it. Globalization gives greater communication and understanding of different countries. Although cultures may lose some ethnicity, they will melt different cultures together (the melting pot ideal on which America was founded). It leads to less prejudice and preformed ideas about other groups of people. Most importantly, supporters of globalization believe that it is creating millions of jobs, generating prosperity, and raising living standards around the world. Business Week s November 6th, 2000 issue reported that globalization has undeniably contributed to America s new economy boom. It has created millions of jobs from Malaysia to Mexico and a cornucopia of affordable goods for Western consumers. It has brought phone service to some 300 million households in developing nations and a transfer of nearly $2 trillion from rich countries to poor countries through equity, bond, investments, and commercial loans (Engardio: 72).

Third world countries with no former means of making decent money get

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