Unit-4-Text-B-Globalization-Alive-and-Well

0.Opponentsofglobalizationarenaturallykeentoseizeuponanyeventthatwouldappeartosupporttheircase,andtheterroristattacksontheUnitedStatesonSeptember11,2001,seemedtoprovideonesuchopportunity.Yetdespitesomewishingtoseeanendtoglobalizationitsurvivesaliveandwell,andwithgoodreason,arguesNewYorkTimescolumnistThomasFriedman.1.Ifonewerehavingcontestforthemostwrongheadedpredictionabouttheworldafter9/11,thewinnerwouldbethedeclarationbythenotedLondonSchoolofEconomicsprofessorJohnGraythat9/11heraldedtheendoftheeraofglobalization.NotonlywillSept.11notberememberedforendingtheprocessofglobalfinancial,tradeandtechnologicalintegration,butitmaywellberememberedforbringingsomesobrietytotheanti-globalizationmovement.2.Ifonethingstandsoutfrom9/11,it¡¯sthefactthattheterroristsoriginatedfromtheleastglobalized,leastopen,leastintegratedcornersoftheworld:namely,SaudiArabia,Yemen,AfghanistanandnorthwestPakistan.Countriesthatdon¡¯ttradeingoodsandservicesalsotendnottotradeinideas,pluralismortolerance.3.Butmaybethemostimportantreasonwhyglobalizationisaliveandwellpost-9/11isthatwhilepamperedcollegestudentsandacademicsintheWestcontinuetodebatewhethercountriesshouldglobalize,thetwobiggestcountriesintheworld,IndiaandChina¡ªwhorepresentsone-thirdofhumanity¡ªhavelongmovedbeyondthatquestion.Theyhavedecidedthatopeningtheireconomiestotradeingoodsandservicesisthebestwaytolifttheirpeopleoutofabjectpovertyandarenowfocusedsimplyonhowtoglobalizeinthemoststablemanner.Someprefertogofaster,andsomeprefertophaseoutcurrencycontrolsandsubsidiesgradually,butthedebateaboutthedirectiontheyneedtogoisover.4.¡°GlobalizationfatigueisstillverymuchinevidenceinEuropeandAmerica,whileinplaceslikeChinaandIndia£¬youfindagreatdesireforparticipationintheeconomicexpansionprocesses,¡±saidJairamRamesh,theIndianCongressParty¡¯stopeconomicadviser.¡°¡­Eventhosewhoaresuspiciousnowwanttofindawaytoparticipate,butinawaythatmanagestherisksandthepace.Sowe¡¯refindingwaysto¡®glocalize,¡¯todoitourownway.Itmaymeanalittleslowergrowthtomanagethesocialstability,butsobeit¡­.IjustspentaweekinGermanyandhadtolistentoallthesepeopletheretellingmehowglobalizationisdestroyingIndiaandaddingtopoverty,andIjustsaidtothem,¡®Look,ifyouwanttoargueaboutideology,wecandothat,butontheleveloffacts,you¡¯rejustwrong.¡¯¡±5.ThattruthismoststrikinginBangalore,India¡¯sSiliconValley,wherehundredsofthousandsofyoungIndians,mostfromlower-middle-classfamilies,suddenlyhavesocialmobility,motorscootersandapartmentsaftergoingtotechnicalcollegesandjoiningtheIndiansoftwareandengineeringfirmsprovidingback-roomsupportandresearchfortheworld¡¯sbiggestfirms¡ªthankstoglobalization.Bangaloreoffcialssayeachtechjobproducers6.5supportjobs,inconstructionandservices.6.¡°Informationtechnologyhasmademillionairesoutofordinarypeople(inIndia)becauseoftheirbrainpoweralone¡ªnotcaste,notland,notheredity,¡±saidSanjayBaru,editorofIndia¡¯sFinancialExpress.¡°Indiaisjustbeginningtorealizethatthisprocessofglobalizationisonewherewehaveaninherentadvantage.¡±7.TakingadvantageofglobalizationtodeveloptheIndianI.T.industryhasbeen¡°ahugewinintermsofforeignexchange(andin)self-confidence,¡±addedNandanNilekani,chiefexecutiveofInfosys,theIndiasoftwaregiant.¡°SomanyIndianscomeandsaytomethat¡®whenIwalkthroughimmigrationatJ.F.K.orHeathrow,theimmigrationguyslookatmewithrespectnow.¡¯TheimageofIndiachangedfromathird-worldcountryofsnakecharmersandropetrickstothesoftwarebrainyguys.¡±DoamajorityofIndiansstillliveinpoorvillages?Ofcourse.DowestillneedtomakeglobalizationmorefairbycompellingtherichWesterncountriestoopentheirmarketsmoretothosethingsthatthepoorcountriesarebestabletosell:foodandtextiles?Youbet.8.Butthepointisthis:Thedebateaboutglobalizationbefore9/11gotreallystupid.Twosimpletruthsgotlost:One,globalizationhasitsupsidesanddownsides,butcountriesthatcomeatitwiththerightinstitutionsandgovernancecangetthebestoutofitandcushiontheworst.Two,countriesthatareglobalizingsensiblybutsteadilyarealsotheonesthatarebecomingpoliticallymoreopen,withmoreopportunitiesfortheirpeople,andwithayounggenerationmoreinterestedinjoiningtheworldsystemthanblowingitup.