Globalization

Globalization is the buzzword of today. The economies of the world are being increasingly integrated. Mobile phones and Internet have brought people closer. The world is becoming a smaller place. Goods, which were once confined to western countries, are available across the globe. Work can be outsourced to any part of the world that has an Internet connection. Because of improvements in traffic infrastructure one is able to reach one’s destination in a relatively short span of time.

The negative effects of globalization

Opponents of globalization point out to its negative effects. Some of them are listed below.

    * Developed nations have outsourced manufacturing and white collar jobs. That means less jobs for their people. This has happened because manufacturing work is outsourced to developing nations like China where the cost of manufacturing goods and wages are lower. Programmers, editors, scientists and accountants have lost their jobs due to outsourcing to cheaper locations like India.
    * Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods.
    * Job insecurity. Earlier people had stable, permanent jobs. Now people live in constant dread of losing their jobs to competition. Increased job competition has led to reduction in wages and consequently lower standards of living.
    * Terrorists have access to sophisticated weapons enhancing their ability to inflict damage. Terrorists use the Internet for communicating among themselves.
    * Companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution.
    * Fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC are spreading in the developing world. People are consuming more junk food from these joints which has an adverse impact on their health.
    * The benefits of globalization is not universal. The rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer.
    * Bad apects of foreign cultures are affecting the local cultures through TV and the Internet.
    * Enemy nations can spread propaganda through the Internet.
    * Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travellers to the remotest corners of the globe.
    * Local industries are being taken over by foreign multinationals.
    * The increase in prices has reduced the governments ability to sustain social welfare schemes in developed countries.
    * There is increase in human trafficking.
    * Multinatonal Companies and corporations which were previously restricted to commercial activities are increasingly influencing political decisions.

The positive aspect of globalization

Globalization has a positive side as well. Supporters of globalization argue that it is good and beneficial. Some of their arguments are listed below.

    * Globalization has created the concept of outsourcing. Work such as software development, customer support, marketing, accounting and insurance is outsourced to developing countries like India. So the company that outsourced the work enjoys the benefit of lower costs because the wages in developing countries is far lower than that of developed countries. The workers in the developing countries get employment. Developing countries get access to the latest technology.
    * Increased competition forces companies to lower prices. This benefits the end consumers.
    * Increased media coverage draws the attention of the world to human right violations. This leads to improvement in human rights.