Globalization

Call it Democracy Padded with power here they come International loan sharks backed by the guns Of market hungry military profiteers Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared With the blood of the poor Who rob life of its quality Who render rage a necessity By turning countries into labour camps Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom Sinister cynical instrument Who makes the gun into a sacrament -- The only response to the deification Of tyranny by so-called "developed" nations' Idolatry of ideology North South East West Kill the best and buy the rest It's just spend a buck to make a buck You don't really give a flying fuck About the people in misery IMF dirty MF Takes away everything it can get Always making certain that there's one thing left Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt See the paid-off local bottom feeders Passing themselves off as leaders Kiss the ladies shake hands with the fellows Open for business like a cheap bordello And they call it democracy And they call it democracy See the loaded eyes of the children too Trying to make the best of it the way kids do One day you're going to rise from your habitual feast To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast They call the revolution IMF dirty MF Takes away everything it can get Always making certain that there's one thing left Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

What is “globalization?” Heiner: “…a social, political, and economic revolution as profound and tumultuous as the Industrial Revolution.” (p. 166) “Global capitalism is sweeping over the world like a juggernaut and we are told that it is uncontrollable.” (p. 168)

What is “globalization?” McWorld (vs. Jihad: Barber, 1995) coming together under market imperatives vs. ripping apart under retribalization what ideal alternative does Barber offer (328)?

What is “globalization?” WalMartization 20 cents/hr. making $200 shoes dictating terms to national economies (China) Neo-liberalism Cf. classical liberalism: “free markets,” less government involvement in economy, reduced social programs, “free trade”:

What is “globalization?” Roots in colonialism 16 th -20 th century conquest by military and political power for economic gain European powers, led by (and eventually dominated by) capitalist centers for expansion of capitalism

What is “globalization?” 20 th century developments: World wars (Lenin’s term: imperialism) Anti-colonial struggles Post-WWII Cold War Growth of corporations, becoming TNCs Increase in role of the State Regulation in economy Social welfare programs Post-Cold War U.S. hegemony “information age”

What is “globalization?” P. Marcuse (2000): “a nonconcept” “a particular form of capitalism, an expansion of capitalist relationships both in breadth (geographically) and in depth (penetrating ever- increasing aspects of human life).” Two connected, yet distinct aspects: Developments in technology Developments in the concentration of power

What’s the problem?

Development of underdevelopment Colonialism distorted economies in colonies (extraction of natural resources, exploitation of labor) Some former colonies able to develop somewhat (e.g., Brazil, “Asian tigers”), but unevenly; hard times now Others left behind, especially in Africa

What’s the problem? Today: ¾ known mineral resources in Third World controlled by rich corporations Poverty rising in 3 rd World, even with shift in manufacturing: 3.3 billion live on less than $2/day 1960s: 30:1 ratio, richest 20% to poorest 20% 2000s: 60:1

What’s the problem? Debts pressure “developing” countries to sell natural resources to service debt Neo-liberal policies of IMF (lender of last resort): SAPs (structural adjustment programs; cutbacks in social welfare, development projects)

Solutions “Anti-globalization movement” (movement for global justice): different groups have different solutions Reject globalization (sometimes linked with right- wing movements like “nativism”, jihad) Overlap with other left movements Advocate democratization of globalization: “This is what democracy looks like!” Using technology to mobilize global movement: