Quirky insights to science, art, studying abroad, & other miscellaneous happenings.

Quirky insights to science, art, studying abroad, & other miscellaneous happenings.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Globalization {the good, bad, & ugly}


"Globalization is much like fire. Fire itself is neither good nor bad. Used properly, it can cook food, sterilize equipment, form iron, and heat our homes. Used carelessly, fire can destroy lives, towns and forests in an instant."


What is globalization? 
The integration of economies, societies, and cultures on a global level. Basically, there is a trend toward more unity and a common land rather than differences in cultures and viewpoints. Actually, we're all affected to an extent. The band, One Direction, for example, is reaching an international audience {here's to Leopold and Killian}; you can easily buy foreign foods in your local supermarket; you can watch a foreign video on Youtube. It's a global world, people.

Let's start with the good…
- more opportunities, more choices with available products, along with better quality
- better communication, transportation, and economy
- promotes progressive thinking, increases knowledge & understanding, allows more freedom

In the midst of all this, however…
- increases commercialism (fewer unique, or local items exist: similar clothing styles, music, food - fewer things are unique and it promotes the consumerism, universally)
- ethnic cultures deteriorating (there's less room for this, and also local markets and goods suffer)
- communicable diseases are spread so easily

The scary & ugly potential
- inadvertently assisting global terrorism: now that people, materials, food, etc are able to travel more freely… so are terrorists. 9/11 is a painful example of this.
- people in developed nations suffer (outsourcing jobs to China & India, many have complained about customer service or the cheap labor, or the "quality" of products)
- possibly supporting child labor and slavery (less regulation is possible and accountability - bribery, etc.)

It's a lot more complicated than I expected. Something to consider, because globalization isn't just a fleeting trend, but it's where our world's progressing to.

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