Globalization
 

What is it? Is it a good or bad thing? Why? What impact does it have on the security environment? Was 9-11 related to globalization?

Yes and no to it being a good thing. Would seem to benefit the large countrys more than the smaller ones.

IIRC correctly, Free Trade Agreements are part of globalisation. We have one with China coming up- I am against it as I believe it will destroy certain sectors of the local economy. We also want one with the US- I don't. There's little benefit for us in it.

To me, globalization is a description of the results of improvements in transportation (including development of effective preservatives and packaging materials) and communications which have made it possible for someone in Des Moines to have frequent and meaningful interactions with someone in Bangkok. The principal security implication is that distance is less effective as a defense.

How is there little benefit to gaining access to two of the largest markets in the world?

This may be simple thinking but isn't our (the United States) race to exploit cheap labor in China, resulting in the explosive growth in the Chinese economy, going to cause us serious problems at many levels?

The first problem I can think of is we as a nation are losing and giving away the ability to manufacture our own goods because we are killing entire manufacturing traditions here to export them offshore.

Just to note, I've read this and will answer in the morning, so you don't think I'm going to piss off without answering :)

Greenhat and D9 should be along shortly. :munchin

Less than the risk of a disconnected country of 1,284,303,705 people?

If you look at the countries to which we have deployed troops since the fall of the USSR, they all have a couple of things in common it would seem to me.

Human beings are joiners by nature. They need acceptance. What will happen to Turkey (for example) if they are shut out of the EU? Look at NK - they belong to nothing. They have been left behind.

Further to NDD's point, as long as we get to pump MTV and the swimsuit issue in there, we should be fine. ;)

We need capable conventional and nuclear forces too, of course.

I've always understood that China is becoming dependant uopn the United States market and this makes us partners in trade. There may be some security in that.

I'm plotting the curve on the graph where we will give the upper hand in a big block of economics to China.

This article is interesting and along the lines of what Mr Harsey speaks of.

http://www.321energy.com/editorials/...ris022405.html

Yes, competition can cause one to have to work harder. Just another good reason to let slip the dogs of alternative energy sources in my opinion. I think it is absurd that we still use the internal combustion engine over a century after it became popular.

I would rather have the Chinese as competitors in trade than another Cold War.

Globalization is what is what is making China so prevalent in the economic world today. I believe that over time, and the presumption that nations will get along for the most part, globalization will eventually make the economic playing field almost equal. This is one reason why globalization could be viewed as a good thing. But, the problem with this idea is that there are evil nations and people in this world, which once they rise to a level that is on par with the other powers of the world; they just want to be the only ones in this position, thus causing instability. It is also said that globalization causes inequality because the richer countries take advantage of the weaker ones, which I am sure occurs to an extent but I don’t know how much of this goes on. Opening up cultural exchange and free trade was probably one of the reasons why 9/11 was actually able to be carried out successfully. Perhaps we were so used to allowing goods, services, and people in and out that we let our guard down.

America saw huge economic growth and is currently the main super power, but a nation's growth starts to level off at a certain point. Now we are seeing China have a huge growth in its economy, but there isn't a point in the foreseeable future in which they will plateau. It is really crazy how much we are dependent on what we get from China as far as common goods and just about everything else. I agree with you NDD, on upping the urgency on alternative fuel research and capability. This is one area that could allow the US to make large gains in the global market if we could be the main pioneers in this field.

One last thing on my theory about equalization of economic standing. I guess I see America as trying to help out in other parts of the world and helping the less fortunate, which would seem to agree with my hypothesis. I have a limited scope on most of our foreign affairs, and was wondering if any here that has traveled to more places or has a better understanding on what we do in other countries, to verify that we are trying to make the world better. I mean places other than Iraq and A-stan, because I feel that we are doing well there for the most part. Thanks.

Tony

Powerful stuff, thanks for linking that.
We have been impacted by China for a while now because of their voracious use of steel. This has increased our prices and impacted availability of even fine tools steels made in the United States.

The captains of industry I have contact with tell me "standby, this isn't getting better."