November 20, 2005

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    Provocative Professor 
    Mike A Levine on Globalization and the US

     

    From the blog of Mike A. Levine, now a professor at the University of California Irvine. I really like how he approaches such things as the middle east and globalization, and so offer you these quotes. (biography here)

    "The Middle East has largely avoided the poverty and inequality levels of Africa and southeast Asia in good measure because the countries of the region have refused to buy into the mythical panacea of the World Bank and IMF's economic growth discourse (and so-called "radical Islam" is one of the methods that have been adopted to ensure governments won't enact such privatization and liberalizing reforms, even when they've signed agreements to do so). Yet as America, with five percent of the world's population, continues to consume twenty-five percent of its resources, India and China, with forty percent of the world's population are racing to consume apace with us. The problem is, that would mean using 200 percent of the earth's resources. Can world war three--a mad scramble for the remaining petroleum, fresh water and other irreplaceable resources of the earth--be far behind? [italics added for emphasis.]

    The Times argues that politicians "should be ashamed of themselves" for the policies that have gotten us into this mess. The truth is, we should all be ashamed, and we better change our ways soon, or the news is only going to get worse"

     

    "Across the world, especially in developing countries such as Brasil or India, the poor and rich have most often lived in close proximity to each other (although this is changing with the arrival of gated communities a l'americaine). When tragedy strikes they've all been in the same boat, and despite incredible disparities of wealth, have had no choice but to help each other for all to survive. In America—and in the rest of the neoliberalized world—the rich increasingly have no need for the poor aside from their inexpensive and easily replaceable labor. From education to healthcare to infrastructure to wars, Americans today live in at least two very different, separate and unequal societies. Katrina laid this fact bare for all the world to see. The question is, What are we going to do about it."

     

Comments (6)

  • What can we do about it?  Any suggestions? 

    Hope that you..

    Miss Pearlbamboo...

    Had a Happy Thanksgiving

    Too!!

  • It's amazing that so quickly after Katrina, everyone is starting to forget.. The Repugs are starting to propose cuts in funding for the poor. What are we are going to do about it? Get the Republicans out of office! I worked hard last time, but I'm not giving up.

    Lynn

  • Good question. It is at times such as this that we are forced to acknowledge our failures. 

  • We should just stop using all these petroleum, use solar power. That's what I was planning if I ever built my own house, with my hard earned money. I don't have any of that now, so the one thing we can do is to probably conserve and that 3"R" rule. 

    Sometimes I think globalisation is unnecessary. It changes people rapidly, like you've quoted they no longer really care about those who don't meet their eye level. It's like creating a modern caste system that a lot of Indians and others have tried to take away.

    -Ashley-

  • Good question.

    Throughout history the dominant empire has sought to peacefully absorb other nations, enlarge its markets and find new goods by spreading its culture.  America has been spectacularly successful because of mass-communication.  Globalisation is the result of mass-communication.  America is for the most part a very benevolent empire. It enforces certain rules upon its friendly countries (and unleashes hell, sometimes just for the hell of it as in little tiny Cuba) but in general everyone can preserve their own culture.  So maybe it is better to go along with globalisation and study its good points as well as its bad and for all of us individual nations to appreciate and try hard to preserve, in a living way, our cultural differences.

    In Europe, the many and diverse European cultures are united more and more in the EEC. But still they are all tremendously individual, the depth of culture is preserved and the 'European-ness' lies lightly, not even a skin.  More and more different countries are being absorbed into what is a more populous, more sophisticated empire yet it is a friendly one, part of the American sphere of influence we call 'the West'.  I think this is a model to be examined and possibly aimed for. Bigger markets, addressing problems in all corners, sharing resources and a certain culture yet remaining true to themselves.

    You can't fight globalisation. It doesn't have to be a bad thing.

  • I don't know why I quite getting your posts.  This happens to me all the time with people and I just keep subscribing over and over.

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