globalization

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Sorry for this stupid thread but what exactly is globalization? And is it gd or bad?

[Springmeester]

Globalization is the world wide expantion of the capitalist system, and it is not good or bad; it is a historical neccesity.

[Q]

It's the new word for imperialism.

[Springmeester]

But it isn't 'good' or 'bad', those words only cover a subjective emotional opion. A marxist should avoid this and try to approach these matters scientificly.

[Q]

Originally posted by [email protected] 02, 2007 03:02 pm
But it isn't 'good' or 'bad', those words only cover a subjective emotional opion. A marxist should avoid this and try to approach these matters scientificly.
I didn't say it was good or bad. But marxists have already written a lot on the subject of globalisation, it was just called imperialism before so he might google on that. There is tons of nice stuff.

For example Lenin's book Imperalism: the highest stage of capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/).

[Springmeester]

Originally posted by Q-[email protected] 02, 2007 03:11 pm
For example Lenin's book Imperalism: the highest stage of capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/).
It's still the best on the subject.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

so is it like the bourguois of one country can freely exploit the workers of another?

[Pirate Utopian]

it's kinda like economic borders are fading away

[manic expression]

Originally posted by [email protected] 02, 2007 03:02 pm
But it isn't 'good' or 'bad', those words only cover a subjective emotional opion. A marxist should avoid this and try to approach these matters scientificly.
I would say that emotional responses are both valid and helpful. I agree with you, but not every response should be purely scientific. IMO, there is nothing wrong with being furious with inequality and exploitation.

"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine."

[Janus]

so is it like the bourguois of one country can freely exploit the workers of another?
Yes, that's one aspect. It's much broader though in that it creates greater interdependence and interconnection between people and businesses from various different locations in the world.

[Ander]

In reality, globalisation is a broad term which involves not only economics but politics and culture as well.

Those who support it claim that globalisation brings wealth and prosperity to poor nations but in truth it only benefits the social elites of those countries while reaping profit for the first world and its multinational corporations. Capitalists will try to defend this by pointing at the economic "growth" that appears to occur in countries where globalisation takes root. The fact that they don't understand or simply don't care about is that the wealth slips right into the pockets of business owners and the bourgeoisie. It's basically a "user-friendly" term for imperialism, which we know is evil.

Globalisation also serves as a gateway for "Westernisation" and destruction of culture. It's basically why you can see a McDonalds wherever you go, be it Asia or South America.

If you want to know more about it, look up the WTO and NAFTA.

[Fawkes]

Some people get it confused with internationalism, they are not the same thing.

I recommend reading "Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man"

[YSR]

I've been told Hardt and Negri's Empire is the new Imperialism. I dunno though. I start it tomorrow for my class. Woo!

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 02, 2007 08:05 am
Sorry for this stupid thread but what exactly is globalization? And is it gd or bad?
Dude, change your name so it doesn't stretch the thread, please. Just replacing the underlines with spaces would do it.

Globalization: different people seem to mean different things by it.

I'd say it's the tendency of capitalism to break down borders. And it's not so much good or bad as inevitable. But it is one of the progressive tendencies of capitalism.

You might find some of these threads about globalization informative:
link (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=43185)
link (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=40514)
link (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=52718)

[Ander]

Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 02:40 am
I recommend reading "Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man"
I second this. It's a great read and it gives you a look from the inside of someone who exported capitalism as their career.

[Morpheus]

Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 07:35 am
I'd say it's the tendency of capitalism to break down borders.
If that's globalization then globalization doesn't exist. Sure, businesses can move across borders easier (except for third world farmers) but nobody else can. There are a lot more restrictions on immigration today than there were 100 years ago. Capitalists can move across borders easier, but workers find it harder due to the tightening of immigration restrictions. A much better term for that is "class struggle" not globalization. Globalization is a vague buzzword used mainly by capitalists to obscure the process by which they screw us over. The term creates the illusion of a non-hierarchical world without borders, class or imperialism (when wer'e actually going the other way) and covers of the agency of the people making change (its not the capitalist class, the WTO or other people doing things, it's this vague "-ization" magically causing things on its own without anyone being to blame). "Wer'e not cutting your wages, globalization is doing it".