Prosperity and politics
If globalized science can contribute to reducing international conflict (See Science and politics), can growing, globalized affluence help? Many people think so. Not Guardian columnist Jason Burke in London.Perhaps this suggests a topic for a post-exam seminar for those AP teachers who have weeks of class after May 5. Or perhaps this is the beginnings of a research paper assignment.
All middle class, maybe. All the same? No
"The dinner party theory of conflict prevention runs like this: the world is getting richer, hundreds of millions of people are being borne up the social ladder by unprecedented global economic growth and as they get wealthier, these new planetary middle-class masses are inevitably going to become more like nice, educated, reasonable, middle-class people elsewhere - i.e. here. In short, they become the sort of people you'd invite to dinner.
"I would like to believe this theory...
"The dinner parties are certainly likely to be cosmopolitan affairs... but do not necessarily mean the dawning of a new era of global stability and peace.
"Why? First, because the internationalist, optimistic vision... relies heavily on a rejection of out-dated allegiances to 'the nation'... Sadly, there is precious little evidence that this is happening. Yes, nation states might be weaker, but our attachment to them seems stronger than ever. A sense of national chauvinism appears often to be a corollary of a society developing economic wealth, rather than its opposite...
"In Europe... protectionism is back with a vengeance. In Russia, Vladimir Putin is the expression of a new nationalist...
"The key people here are not the ultra-rich... The key is the swath of the population beneath: those whose parents or grandparents were poor, who have just traded the family motorbike for a family car, just swapped the flat for a house, who are scared that their gains could disappear...
"For, since the end of the Cold War, we have been lulled into a complacency based in the idea that... most people are like us or, if they are not like us, they would want to be. But the truth is that not everyone, given the means, wants to dissolve their own identity in a global pick'n'mix, particularly one that is actually far from global but actually American-European.
"Aspirations to live in security, health and prosperity are universal. But so is the desire to live with a sense of cultural, national and personal independence..."
See also:
- The Diffusion of Prosperity and Peace by Globalization
Critics of globalization forget that free trade fosters prosperity and know almost nothing about its most important benefit—its tendency to prevent war. Quantitative studies have shown that trade fosters peace both directly, by reducing the risk of military conflict, and indirectly, by promoting prosperity and democracy. - Does Globalization Bring War or Peace?
High levels of economic exchange act as an accelerant: extensive trade enhances either cooperation or conflict. - How Globalization Promotes War
Globalization, more correctly called corporate globalization, is founded upon a conservative, free market-oriented worldview that seeks to limit the economic impact of government actions. - Investment Means Prosperity, Peace, Cohen Tells Shanghai Stock Traders
Economic prosperity leads to peace and democracy, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said at the Shanghai Stock Exchange July 14, 2000, a day marked by record trading. - Globalization: The Pathway to Prosperity, Freedom and Peace
Globalization... has led to a better world, one in which greater numbers of people have the opportunity for peace, prosperity and freedom. Anti-global critics are tragically wrong for they condemn millions of people to poverty, disease, force migrations, ethical strife, and terrorism.
Labels: concepts, economics, globalization
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:39 AM
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