Set of scales with white family on one side and black people on the other.
Artist: Eales, Stan Catalogue
Ref: sea0057
Subject: globalization Politics
What is on the picture? A big set of scales with different people on both sides. Obviously this shows the inequality between people from different countries and different races. But think beyond it, the people shown in this cartoon can also represent the developed countries and developing countries or less-developed countries. So the inequality is not only about incomes, but also about power. With the effect of globalization, the order of the world is now changing. But who will then benefit more from globalization? Seems to be the developed countries.
During the process of globalization, the world tends to have a unified system with no boundaries between nations. Many international organizations had been set up which link different nations together, and countries are more dependent on each others. With the increasing competition in free market, increasing immigrations, spread of information and pressure of international organizations; countries receive huge impacts of globalization.
The most obvious impact is that with the free market system, government now has less power control over its economics. Capitals go after profits, thus, there have been more and more competitions. It tends to be harder for some developed countries to have high revenue from tax, high welfare and high wages as it will increase the costs and deduce the profits. However, developing countries then have to reduce taxation and wages as far as possible in order to attract foreign investment. The strong economic power of developed countries then is linked to their political power of controlling the flows of capital. And lowering labor wages means that the developing countries cannot really improve their living standards and the governments face more hazards as they cannot control the economy by macro controls such as changing currency.
Secondly, as a result of advance transportations, many people then tend to go to the first world countries such as the US. And indeed, many developed countries want to attract foreign talents. For example, the US is considering changing its maximum number of foreign professional from 115 thousands to 200 thousands. The developed countries need to face issues such as illegal immigrations. And countries like the US still need to revise its immigration laws. For developing countries, they face another serious problem-the loss of citizens and manpower. Since there is strong attraction of higher living standard in DCs, it is hard for governments to keep talents. And the development of one nation’s economy does affect the situation of losing talents. In 1970s, there are about 190 thousands Chinese students studying overseas in US, and only 40 thousands of then went back to serve. However, because of China’s increasing economic power and political position, now more and more students go back to their motherland. Then how about those LDCs？It will be much harder for them to keep manpower due to their weak economic powers and the foreign talents policies of many developed countries. And thus, globalization brings more advantages to the DCs.
Lastly, the increasing power of media and international governments lead to the increasing pressure on governments. Therefore the difference of local business and international business is deducing. Nations need to share their powers. It also allows country to stand for their right. However, is the power equally shared? We could see that compare to other countries, developed countries such as the US, UK and many other westerns tend to be more dominant. Although many countries and even many Americans went against the Iraq War, Bush’s administration still made their decision against the pressure. Then if we look at the case of North Korea and Iran, it is definitely harder for them to go against the international pressure and the military threat by the US.
Yes, globalization definitely affects the countries all around the world. However, it seems that the strong economic power and current political / economic system gives developed countries more advantages compare to developing countries and LDCs. It is impossible to stop the globalization waves, so LDCs still need to open up to the modern technology and economic system. In order to raise their positions in the current system, they will need to make a lot of changes base on their current local system. And international organizations certainly should consider the rights of the LDCs which are weaker than DCs.
This article is about the North Korea’s nuclear weapons issue. This is an issue that has last for a long time, and still it has not been solved yet. As a result of North Korea withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003, the six-party talks have been set. Six countries participant in the meeting: the People's Republic of China; the Republic of Korea (South Korea); the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea); the United States of America; the Russian Federation; and Japan. There have been five rounds of talks with only little net progress, until North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear facilities in exchange for fuel aid and steps towards the normalization of relations with the United States and Japan in the third phase of the fifth round of talks.
So how are this issue and the current events related to globalization? It is quite obvious. One important point of globalization is that it creates increasing interdependence in many different areas, so as the political area. It means that one country’s decision is linked to the move of another. In this case, the North Korea-US relations play very important role.
The primary problem is that the current U.S. administration fundamentally doesn’t want an agreement with North Korea. The Bush administration considers the 1994 Agreed Framework to have been a flawed agreement. It doesn’t want to be saddled with a similar agreement, for if it did sign one, it would then be open to charges of "appeasing" Pyongyang. The Vice President has summed up the approach as: "We don’t negotiate with evil, we defeat evil." - John Feffer
The US is the most dominant power today and it is quite unhappy about North Korea. On the other hand, North Korea wants to get rid of the military threat from USA. In 1994, North Korea promised to freeze its nuclear program while the US promised to provide light water reactors to North Korea. However, both of them seemed not doing what they should do. Once again the issue came out and became even more serious. US applied a lot of political pressure on North Korea on its denuclearization, while the latter then unfreeze its nuclear program again.
As the article pointed out, “the basic problem is that people of both views simply haven't figured out what it is that the North really wants.” The fact is that although we have international organizations conducting international meetings, nations are still the most important roles in the political world. Yes, one country or an international organization can apply pressure on that nation in order to solve certain issue. However, the final decision is still made by the nation itself. In this case, the result of both US and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) applying a lot of pressure on North Korea was that it announced to quit the “Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty” and it had the right to develop nuclear weapons. So at the end, the only way we could solve this issue peacefully is through a “sustained talks in which ideas can be explored and solutions, at last, patiently developed”. And the main point is again the North Korea-US relations.
In the author’s point of view, the current six-party talks are “a microcosm of the strategic world it most fears”. Besides the US, the other three strategic foes seem also “apply pressure and (to Pyongyang's mind) insist on the North's permanent weakness”. North Korea certainly does not want to sign any treaties or agreements under so much pressure, and lets itself appearing weak. And it seems that North Korea is using its nuclear program as a chip for getting more international aids and become more initiative in its diplomacy with other nations.
Finally in my opinion, to achieve the denuclearization, it is important to consider the “strategic relationship with the US”, which North Korea mostly wanted. The final agreement should be signed base on trust between nations. All countries have their own stands as well as their own interests, but the only way we can solve this issue is to know what they want and find out the common will. The final result is then still base on the attitude of the two major nations involved – North Korea and USA. Applying too much international pressure might not be a good thing, and one important thing is to normalize the relations between these two nations.
Introduction to clip: This clip adequately summarizes what mass production actually is. According to the clip, mass production is the name given to the method of producing goods in large quantities at low cost per unit. The mass production process is characterized by mechanization to achieve high volume, elaborate organization of materials flow through various stages of manufacturing, careful supervision of quality standards, and minute division of labour. With precision equipment, large numbers of identical parts could be produced at low cost and with a small work force. Stationary workers in an assembly line concentrate on a single task, performing it at a pace dictated by the machine, minimizing unnecessary movement, and dramatically increasing productivity.
Reflection: I agree that mass production is indeed synonymous with globalization. Mass production, like everything under the sun, has its own pros and cons. Many people do not realize this, but even our food is made in assembly lines. Take for example the burgers from McDonald’s. One person is in-charge of frying the patties; another is in-charge of putting the patty and other ingredients together in between the bun halves. The finished burger is finally passed on to another person to be wrapped.
I think that it is quite interesting to note that McDonald’s burgers taste and look the same everywhere around the world. How can this be made possible? Fresh meat from farms is processed in factories using the same machinery everywhere around the world. This is the same for bun halves. The patties are fried in the same type of oil and machine for exactly the same duration around the world. Technology has made it possible for people to share information easily, in this case, cooking recipe and techniques.
Mass production as a result of globalization ensures that a quality of a companies’ product remain constant around the world. As mentioned in the earlier post, mass production allows for a product to be produced faster, cheaper and better. Of course, all the benefits of mass production do not come without disadvantages. Mass production has the potential to devalue a product by overproducing it. If a local market is flooded with identical products, their value will drop and they have to be exported to foreign markets for sale. In addition, many people consider working in an assembly as a mundane job. Low-skilled workers displace skilled workers in factories as skill is not a prerequisite for running machines. This result in a total breakdown of a company should the machines fail one day.
Technological expert, Jonathan Pung
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comments:
It is an interesting topic. Yes, it ensures that we have products of same quality and just as many modern technology, it saves time. One people is only in charge of a little part of the process, instead of doing all the works in the old days. But then I think there is another problem related to this, which is the loss of many beautiful handicraft arts. Nowadays, few people will like to make handicraft products as their jobs. It is certainly harder than woking in a assembly line that you simply do one thing all the time. This job then requires more skills and experiences. Many artisans started to learn when they are very young and they did this for their whole life. So it does require your passion on it. Also more importantly, it profits less compare to mass production because the number of products is limited. And in fact, many small priducts are cheap also. Of course, some of them do cost a lot and most of they are exquisite. So maybe this is another issue about globalization and our uniqueness.
[[your political expert Liu Sha]]
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Monday, May 7, 2007
Introduction to clip:
Economies around the world have been interconnected by advancements in technology. Because of this, consumers are able to enjoy better pricing on products. The power and promise of a globalized is obvious. 5 years ago, an automaker would have to completely design, engineer and build a car all in the same country. Currently, technology has given automakers multiple options on how they want to produce their cars. For example, a car can be designed in Korea, be engineered in America and be built in Germany. All this is made possible by the computerization of design studios, engineering studios, assembly lines and plants, which is a clear result of the advancement of technology.
Reflection:
Thanks to technological advancements, the world is now more interconnected than ever. The result of this interconnection is that manufacturers can outsource easily, making the best use of their funds. The consumer is, naturally, not left out. Greater efficiency spells lower production costs, which in turn gives rise to lower product prices. In other words, globalization has allowed manufacturers to harness technology in order to produce goods at maximum efficiency, which benefits consumers in terms of lowered prices.
Depending on the market conditions, manufacturers can choose different countries to outsource to. Take for example a television manufacturer. Since the Japanese are known to come up with innovative designs; the Indians are known to write computer programs as well as the Americans, but for a lower price; the Chinese are known to provide cheap labour and raw materials; the Singaporeans are known for their silicon wafers and the Germans are known to possess the best machinery; the television manufacturer can combine the niches of all these different countries into its end product, a television. This marvelous feat is achieved with the help of what else, but technology. Orders for silicon wafers from Singapore and raw material from China can be made from the German based factory via email, fax or phone. The designs and computer codes from Japan and India can be sent to and put together in Germany by means of email.
As you probably can see, globalization and technology allows us to harness the cheapest and the best from all over the world. This not only ensures that funds are not wasted, but also products of a superior quality but lower price. Technological expert Jonathan Pung
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Sunday, May 6, 2007
Disappearing Cultural Diversity VS Globalisation of Culture
With globalisation, national borders disappear as a world economy and a global culture emerges. The beauty of globalization is that it has the ability to free people from the tyrannic limits of geography. Just because someone were to be born in China does not necessarily mean that he or she is constrained to simply speaking Chinese, or eating Chinese food or reading Chinese books. Instead, they can choose to eat a Mcdonalds hamburger for dinner (see above), drink CocaCola or watch a Hollywood blockbuster in a nearby cinema. It is globalisation that enables people around the world to experience different cultures, without actually having to leave the comfort of their own country. Through experiencing different cultures, we can enrich our lives immeasureably and enjoy everything that the world has to offer.
However, globalisation of culture occurs at the expense of cultural diversity. National cultures, traditions, customs and myths that determine a country's cultural identity are taking the blow of globalisation. Foreign goods have invaded most countries, and these products are usually from the United States. Many are afraid that when globalisation would soon standardize the world, and it would also annhilate any form of rich culture in a nation during the process. Cultural identities of countries are on the verge of being lost to a global culture as people are already beginning to follow cultural norms of a new imperialism. It would not be long before we all become 21st century zombies, with no sense of identity and soul.
Culture is often understood as the order of life in which people construct meaning through practices of symbolic representation. Language, religion, political and legal system, social customs are the most important components of cultural identity. These also make up a person's identity. Thus a threat to one's culture also becomes a threat to one's core of identity. The global scene is very connected and slowly transforming the world into a single social and cultural setting as different cultures intergrate and merge. Hence, it is feared that the peoples' culture and identity would likely be reduced to uniformity. However, it may not necessarily be the case, as stated in the quote below.
"As a result of increasing cultural contact a number of traditional practices disappear. But at the same time the globalization of culture leads to emergence of new cultural forms" . Pointing this out, everywhere the cultural diffusion creates new practices, worldviews, expressions. In the shadow of this, new transnational communities come into being. "They are more bound together by common interest, social and cultural similarities than by geographical closeness" (J.Breidenbach/I.Zukrigl).
Some countries are desperately trying to keep their cultural identity intact, and one good example would be the government campaign in France. A country that was long famous for its fashion, art, language, dining, and in all domains of the spirit—is now threatened by the invasion McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, rock, rap, Hollywood movies, bluejeans, sneakers, and T-shirts. This fear has resulted in massive French subsidies for the local film industry and demands for quotas requiring theaters to show a certain number of national films and limit the importation of movies from the United States.
It is true that globalisation causes many forms of traditional cultures disappear. But at the same time, it opens opportunities and windows to the different cultures of the world. Culture is ever-changing, and it is inevitable for cultures to disappear in the face of globalisation. It is only a question of whether we are willing to pay the price of our forgotten culture and identity.
Culturally yours, Cultural Expert- Gwyneth liew
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comments:
I agree that globalization causes many forms of traditional cultures disappear. Sometimes the foreign cultures are so attractive and the youth are chasing after them but leaving their own traditional culture behind. Globalization allows us to watch Japanese Cartoons, Korea TV series and American movies. But what had been forgotten might be our own culture. For example, I have seen some young Han Chinese showing strong interest in Kimono but do not even now about Hanfu, which is their traditional custom. And in fact, some Chinese think that western stuffs are always better, so as their culture. They see this as a sign of "modernized". However, there is no good or bad in culture. Do we want our unique culture, which is passed down by many generations to disappear? At least I do not want. What makes us different from others? It is the culture. Living in a world with globalizing culture, our own culture will be the sign to identify our uniqueness.
This article looks at a specific case study which is Norway. "Norway has a very large variety of natural habitats over short distances. These riches are the combined result of Norway's geographical position, its varied and rugged landscape and some thousand years of human activities." However, man’s irresponsible actions destroy the environment and have begun to threaten these various kinds of natural habitats. The most obvious causes are the destruction of habitats, the introduction of alien species, over-exploitation and pollution.
"Biological diversity is the expression used to describe variation at all levels in the natural world, from ecosystems and habitats to species and also variation within each species, or genetic diversity." In southern Norway, the low-lying areas are under threat because of overexploitation and intensive use. Because of this, more than 3000 species have been placed on the Norwegian Red List of threatened species.
One underlying cause of pressures on the environment is production and consumption. A demand for holiday homes along the coast of Southern Norway results in the destruction of natural habitats to build cabins and cottages. However, even though growing international trade, globalisation of the markets and poor coordination between policies and measures applied in different sectors of the economy can add to pressures on the environment, these technological advances can have positive effects, depending on how they are used.
In the past, hunting and fishing was the cause of loss of species and habitat. However today, it is due to the various purposes we use the land for that destroys the wildlife. "Modern intensive agriculture involves the use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides. Farms on marginal farmlands are being abandoned, and old, species-rich types of vegetation are disappearing as a result. All these developments tend to reduce biological diversity." Also, in the last 20-30 years, the introduction of alien species of plants and animals has had negative effects on the original fauna and flora there. This problem is also evident in oceans, besides overexploitation and pollution.
Climate change caused by human activity may cause certain alpine species in Norway to become extinct.
And how is Norway responding to this threat to biodiversity?
According to the aritcle, "Norway is responding in many ways to safeguard its scenery, countryside, plants and animals and natural resources. Valuable habitats, areas and species have been protected, and this is still important. More recently, the importance of legislation to restrict or ban specific activities has been growing. International cooperation to deal with environmental problems has become more and more extensive during the past century, and is now considered essential. At national level, Norway has adopted the principle that all sectors must take responsibility for their impact on biological diversity, and we are now working out how to put this principle into practice."
Environmental expert
Jean Ng
2D'06
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The Big Five :D
Cultural expert: Gwyneth
Technological expert: Jonathan
Environmental expert: Jean
Economic expert: Atiqah
Political expert: Liu Sha
