“In the early 1800s, an estimated 80 percent of the world’s population lived on today’s equivalent of $1.50 a day or less. It took more than 150 years . . . to cut that share in half (the first time). The miracle is that mankind has managed to cut the ranks of the poor in half again, this time in a mere 25 years” (Griswold 2) But what is this miracle? How did we manage to achieve these astonishing results? The answer lies on the increase in globalization in recent years. Through the use of globalization and free trade, we have been able to create astonishing job increases, imports, and overall industrialization, especially in less-developed countries. Globalization drastically increased during and after World War II, with the creation of many
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However, the pros outweigh the cons, and overall, the sharing of ideas with our neighbors, next door and distant, helps us progress as a society and get closer toward a middle class life for all. For example, many focus on industrialization creating job loss for Americans. “The U.S. manufacturing sector lost 5.3 million jobs between January 2001 and September” (Scott 1). While this may be partly true, statements like these create a skewed representation of the job loss, and focus on only the negatives. A job loss in an industrialized country like the U.S. means a gigantic job gain in less developed countries, like Indonesia. And while we lose some jobs, the U.S. as a whole gains much wealth in the money we make by helping these other countries in need. Another common criticism is that globalization increases consumerism and negative cultural impacts. Yes, globalization increases consumerism, but is that an all bad thing? Consumerism is a sure sign of wealth, and when we contribute to a rise in this, we contribute to an end to poverty. As Daniel T. Griswold states in his discussion about how consumerism has spread to less developed countries: “More than a billion people continue to live in deep poverty, but the real story of our time is how many of them are escaping to a life that more closely resembles our own” (2). Also, unique local cultures do not need to be replaced with global ones, but can instead coexist with them. Globalization definitely has some negative impacts. But while it is important to consider these impacts, it is not acceptable to dwell on them. We cannot progress as a global society unless we see all of the potential globalization brings to the
However, the pros outweigh the cons, and overall, the sharing of ideas with our neighbors, next door and distant, helps us progress as a society and get closer toward a middle class life for all. For example, many focus on industrialization creating job loss for Americans. “The U.S. manufacturing sector lost 5.3 million jobs between January 2001 and September” (Scott 1). While this may be partly true, statements like these create a skewed representation of the job loss, and focus on only the negatives. A job loss in an industrialized country like the U.S. means a gigantic job gain in less developed countries, like Indonesia. And while we lose some jobs, the U.S. as a whole gains much wealth in the money we make by helping these other countries in need. Another common criticism is that globalization increases consumerism and negative cultural impacts. Yes, globalization increases consumerism, but is that an all bad thing? Consumerism is a sure sign of wealth, and when we contribute to a rise in this, we contribute to an end to poverty. As Daniel T. Griswold states in his discussion about how consumerism has spread to less developed countries: “More than a billion people continue to live in deep poverty, but the real story of our time is how many of them are escaping to a life that more closely resembles our own” (2). Also, unique local cultures do not need to be replaced with global ones, but can instead coexist with them. Globalization definitely has some negative impacts. But while it is important to consider these impacts, it is not acceptable to dwell on them. We cannot progress as a global society unless we see all of the potential globalization brings to the