Riposte of a Redstorm Avatar

Some points on ‘globalisation’ provoked by this financial/economic crisis: Contrary to what it may suggest, ‘globalisation’ in principle is not disagreeble. In fact, the first attempt to integrate globally was a workers’ international. What should be rejected is the fact that more powerful economies tend to trump less powerful ones in the way the system is set up. - The other side is movements that, because of their historical and social circumstances, may opt for economic nationalism to enable them to stand up as an equal in the community of nations, should be supported. - In the present version of globalisation, capital is freed, but labour (read: real people) are still in chains. - The freed market only brings instability, as demonstrated by the last few decades of its reign, highlighted moreover by the latest of its crises today. - ‘Globalisation’ has resulted in an increasing shift of world GDP from wages to profits and has tended to undermine the barganing power of trade unions. It also results in under-consumption, and more debt and a debt-driven economy because people still have to consume. - Labour bargaining power has also been undermined because companies can easily move production elsewhere. - The correlation to this is there should be an attempt to flatten out wages across nations. This would decrease the ability of companies to relocate when they want to because of the arbitrary differences in taxes, wages, currency vaues and other costs across nations. It would also make it easier to govern and would be beneficial to economies with the stability. - There is no political accountability on a global scale despite the world-wide operations of this type of economy. - ‘External’ problems like pollution tended to be ignored. Because they weren’t exactly useful for production, many cities blot out their skies with toxic fog. - It may be that growth for its own sake may not be the best basis for an economy, as we increasingly realise with the ecological crisis. Communal and urban organic gardens, recycling, more environmental consciousness point to alternative lifestyles that may yet save the few natural joys of life. - Public ownership of big sectors of the economy remains a choice. This, however, also requires democratic, social direction from the population as a whole. It cannot just be for the benefit of the financially-endowed. - We must constantly think of the world as one unit; one society and economy affects the other, so we are responsible for every bit of our actions. Like that blurb, we must think globally, act locally.