Reader's Response: Assessing Globalization

In “Assessing Globalization”, Andrew Kohut and Richard Wike (2008) offered an extensive look at the advantages and detrimental effects of Globalization throughout the world. They focused on how the economic aspect enables a country to prosper; particularly the less developed countries and how it on the other hand, lead to a growing gap between the rich and the poor, environmental degradation as well as a loss of local and national traditions resulted from the increase in immigrates and thus, their influences to a country. In addition, they discussed which country to fault for all these adverse outcomes by conducting a poll and the result that they have gathered shows the United States as it is noted as the country whose economy and culture have the most immense impact on globalization. 

In regard to the last point, the poll conducted against 47 countries also shows that “What people do not like about globalization they often blame on America.” (Kohut and Wike, 2008). This belief is present for all three consequences; income disparity, environmental problems and vanishing of culture. On the contrary, they stated that this perception is not generally due to globalization, but also the clashes of foreign codes implemented by the United States.

While I agree with them on the point that it is due to the United States’ sole authority to interfere in the foreign affairs which leads to a consensus view towards Anti-Americanism, I disagree that they should be fully blamed for the consequences of globalization. Although the United States is partly responsible, the fact that the rest of the developed countries are also contributing to the problem should not be overlooked so they should not get the entire blame just because one thinks that they are the most influential country.

In my opinion, firstly, the increase in gap between the rich and the poor is due to the increase in earning inequalities from the decreasing wages of staff as production facilities shift over to the less developed countries to enable a cheaper production. Secondly, the global trade has allowed more demand for resources which leads to the clearance of land for infrastructures, destroying of natural habitats, causing pollution and eventually leading to global warming which is a drastic problem. Lastly, as people from different countries come together to seek for a job, there will be a cultural diffusion in order to accommodate and through this, the original traditions and cultures will be lost. 

Therefore, I believe that any countries; most likely the developed countries that have the abilities to set up their production facilities in the less developed countries for example Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, are already contributing to the first issue along with the second and the third which are both a repercussion of the first.

With the information that I have provided, I affirm my stand that the blame for the detrimental sequences should not be based on one’s judgement according to the most thriving country. 

Reference:
Kohut, A., & Wike, R. (2008, June 24). Assessing Globalization | Pew Global Attitudes Project. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.pewglobal.org/2008/06/24/assessing-globalization