Globalisation
 

DWC's thread about the paradox of choice reminded me of something:

Globalisation.

We've been hearing about this for ages, now. And tbh, Globalisation isn't even that modern of a term. You can say the seeds for it have been getting planted since the Age of Discovery and the colonial era. Colonisation brought trade routes and gave birth to trade corporations. Ever heard of the Dutch East India Company, for example?

But anyway, globalisation as we understand it today is mostly about the last couple of decades or so. Especially with the internet coming along.

Globalisation has brought us good things. Allowed us to know tv shows, movies, songs, store chains, etc of different countries. And it made it easier for us to inform ourselves better about the whole world and to travel around it.

But is globalisation truly a good thing? I mean, you could argue the world is smaller than ever today, but who really profits from globalisation? Major corporations do. Also, don't you think at times that globalisation sorta makes the world more uniform and cultures more similar and less unique and foreign? I mean, when you look at a historical centre of an old city seeing its traditional commerce closing down to give way for new hotels, yet another Starbucks or McDonald's... it really makes you wonder if we aren't reaching a breaking point here. It's like many European cities, mine included, are getting less unique these days and becoming more like theme parks for tourists, pushing locals from the centre/downtown due to the increase in property taxes and rents in those areas. This is definitely a negative point of globalisation.

Another thing is, cultures are mixing more and more. Nothing wrong with cultural exchange, since that has happened as long as mankind existed, basically. But modern technology has made it a lot easier to spread that sort of exchange and even overwhelm people with it. Eventually won't it get to a point where every culture and civilisation feels the same or close enough and the excitement of travelling and discovering something new starts to fade? Allow me to give an example: Back in 2008 or so, it was very very hard for me to meet an American or an Australian who liked football(or soccer wtv). From 2011 on that amount has increased a lot. Just like I see more and more Europeans talking about the NBA and perhaps other leagues and sports, I dunno.

Funny thing is, humans are still tribal at heart, and this rise in nationalistic/populist rhetoric in many parts of the West lately doesn't seem like a coincidence. I fear mankind still isn't ready to unite as one and to get rid of its cultural and national identities. In Europe it's obvious many Europeans have been disappointed with the EU and don't really like the idea of European federalism.

What about you? What do you like and dislike about globalisation? What future do you see? What would you like to change about it if you could? DO you believe corporations and others who rave about globalisation truly care about the needs of mankind?

Thoughts?

You covered just about everything.

On the topic of race and national mixing, I think it can go too far. As you say human beings are tribal at heart.

I used to be all for heterogeneity but too much mixing can be dangerous. There has to be a balance.

I didn't necessarily think of race, tbh. But considering what has been happening in places like the USA lately, that's another thing to consider. I'm always hearing about how supposedly racism will die out with the older generations, but then you look at that neo nazi riot in Charlotte and how many grey beards do you see? I mostly saw men in their 20s and 30s. Racism and xenophobia aren't exclusive to old people at all, even if on average they might be so or at least more outspoken about it.

Yeah, it's a world that becomes more divided as it gets smaller.

I remember the first few times I went online and began talking to people from other countries and parts of the globe.

I remember being 10 years old and being given **** on American video game communities for having poor English grammar at times. :lol:

Lol English speakers mocking the grammar of those for whom English is a second language is one of my bugbears.

I support globalisation to a certain extent.

Being a consrvative, my view of a country and a culture is like that of a traditional family unit.

The family would definetly interact and exhange ideas with outsiders, possibly on a daily basis, but then there's also their privacy and values that they would strive to protect and uphold.

Similarly with globalisation, with things like technology, I support whats being done, but believe that preserving cultural heritage and not forgetting who we are is equally, if not much more important.

I'm currently near the end of an interntional relations course, and did a course on globalisation years ago.

It's an interesting subject. It's true that realists see the state as the units of the international system, but others such as liberals and constructivists give credence to things like transnational activism, NGOs etc and other stuff that crosses state boundaries. For realists it's all about securing the safety of the state through military means, but liberals take culture and the economy into account as well.

Yeah, privacy. With social networks and such, it's as if we're living 1984 or getting close to it.

Is globalization a good or a bad thing?

That's subjective to each individual person, it's easy to say it's bad but those usually don't realize how back globalization has gone for and things they wouldn't know because of it.


Whether you like or dislike it is irrelevant as it's simply inevitable. As much as nationalism is rising around the world, I can assure you that you can go most places around the world and live the same type of life. I've been lucky to have lived in different countries and I can have the exact same life style, food etc if you live in a big enough city.

If we strictly talk about economics though then globalization is a good thing.

Doesn't mean we can't talk about it.

Basketball is big in many European countries, like Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain. But do you often meet Europeans talking sports like American football or baseball?

Nah. The ones who like American football tend to be brits, now that I think about it.

American football is also big in Germany. Baseball is big in Italy and the Netherlands.

Germany? Why?

Really? Thought baseball was only a thing in USA, some central American nations, Japan and Korea.

For those that would like the experience of cricket, with rules that are easy to follow.

He said it's Americna football that's somewhat popular in Germany and not baseball. So the cricket thing doesn't apply there.

I believe rugby has much simpler rules than American football, bw?

I wasn't talking to him though, I was talking to you about Baseball, and throwing shade at Cricket.

Do you know if those attacking you were children?

Oh I see, but I didn't ask why baseball was somewhat popular in Holland and Italy. I do wodner, though.

Cricket? Only former English colonies play that. I've seen a bit of cricket on tv before and it looks so stupid. Tbh most Brits and Aussies I've come across online don't give two damns about cricket either :lol:

I assume the average age in those video game forums was like 15-21.