chapter 2: the state and globalisation Flashcards
What did Francis Fukuyama argue? What was the context of his writing?
-He argued that war would become a thing of the past due to the rise of liberal democracies.
-The rise of democraces and their interconnectedness could challenge the primacy of the nation state, making way for a more supranational style of governance.
-He was writing in 1992, just as communism was collapsing. The Berlin Wall had fallen in 1989, and in 1991 the USSR collapsed, ending the Cold War.
How has the nation-state developed?
- Hugo Grotius put forward the idea that the role of a state is to protect the rights of citizens and ensure people work for mutual benefit and common interest. While Hobbes and Boudin argued that adherence to the authority of a nation state provided the most effective way of protecting society
-The Westphalian System in 1648. Develops the idea of sovereignty by stating that no state has the legal right to intervene in the sovereign affairs of another state, and all states possess the same legal right to independence - the montevideo convention in 1933 defined a nation state as one with defined territory, a permanent population, a viable government and the capacity to enter into diplomatic relations with other states.
-Wodrow Wilson’s 14 points, self determination.
-Article 2, of Chapter 1 of the UN Charter recognises what the importance of the nation state. no state, however powerful, has the right to intervene in the affairs of another
What is Globalisation?
-The process by which the world has become so interconnected that a variety of non-state actors, global trends, and significant events have challenged territorial borders and state sovereignty.
What is economic globalisation? What is political globalisation?
-Econ: Process where states become more vlosely connected and interdependent according to free-trade principles. Leads to greater transnational flow of goods, services, and capital.
-Pol: Shared membership of IGOs, regional orgs etc. This has led to greater interconnectedness of politics.
economic globalisation: What was the Washington Consesus? What do states have to do to attract global business? Why does this have negative impacts?
-Washington consensus is essentially economic liberalism, and the promotion of free-market trade, and interconnectedness.
-States must implement conditions that businesses find attractive (ie low corporate tax, light regulation, low workers rights).
-If states do not take part in economic globalisation, they risk losing their investments, and so Govs tailor economic decisions to encourage foreign business. Ireland reduced corp. tax to 12.5% to attract business.
-Globalisation of markets can therefore affect economic wellbeing. (As can be seen in the 2008 crash, or Covid pandemic).
economic globalisation: how can the globalisation of markets be seen?
- through the 2008 financial crash and 2020 pandemic which impacted every economy in the world
political globalisation: what are non state actors?
entities such as NGOs, IGOs, globally influential individuals, transnational corporations and even criminal and terrorist networks that wield significant influence over global affairs
political globalisation: Give some example of global pressure groups. Give some examples of NGOs successes.
-Amnesty, Greenpeace, Human Rights Watch. Also individuals, like Thunberg/Attenborough.
-Thunberg/Att have helped force climate change to be a global priority, discussing the environment with Obama in 2015 and presenting a witness statement in “A life on our plane” (2020).
-At COP26, Attenborough addressed world leaders, urging them to “rewrite our story.”
political globalisation: What are the Bretton Woods institutions?
-World Bank, IMF, WTO.
- all of them impact state sovereignty by advancing global free markets and free trade. the SAPs are founded on the core premise that economic growth is maximised through free-market reforms
political globalisation: What is the UN?
-United Nations is an IGO, mad eup of 193 member states, joined together to promote peace and resolve “collective dilemas.” It is arguably the most important IGO, due to its massive membership, and the fact that states don’t sacrifice sovereignty to join it.
political globalisation: Give some examples of UN agencies? What are some other things they’re responsible for?
-WHO -> responsible for the eradication of smallpox & (close to) of polio. Still works to reolve epidemics like Ebola.
-International Atomic Energy Agency -> Monitors states fulfillment of the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968).
-UN High Commission for Refugees -> Seeks to alleviate plight of refugees. In 2020, there were 80m worldwide.
-Also, UNICEF, and World Food Programme.
-UN is also responsible for Millenium & Sustainable Development Goals + climate change.
political globalisation: Give some examples of regional organisations. What are their functions? What are their impact?
-EEC (1957) -> EU (1993).
-ASEAN (1967), Mercosur (1991), NAFTA (1994).
-They set up free trade agreements, within a smaller geographical area, providing regions with greater international influence in trade (though sovereignty is pooled).
-They protect states from the rigours of global competition, but the pooling of sovereignty means states become slightly limited.
What has the impact of the internet been?
-Econ: Instantaneous trading of shares, movement of capital, and producing a global marketplace. Leads to the globalisation of business.
-Cul: Easy spread of ideas and teachnological advances. Goods, fashion etc can be spread everywhere, and brands now have international recognisability.
-Facebook, and Al Jazeera played an important role in promoting the Arab Spring uprisings.
-Essentially, it provides a platform for social movements to develop. The quick spread of BLM in 2020 was almost entirely due to the internet.
- however, such as china’s firewall, it can be limited
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: convergence between the global north and global south?
- supporters of economic globalisation argue that free trade liberalism has done more than anything else in history to encourage convergence between the global north and the global south by creating new opportunities for manufacturing in the developing world
- gross world production 2000: $33,895bn compared to gross world production 2019: $87,552bn
- The difference between NK & South Korea’s economies massively exemplifies the effect that globalisation can have. (11x bigger)
- the numbers in extreme poverty 1980: 36% of the world, 2019: 9.2%
- as a result of the enhanced global trading opportunities that free trade creates, developing countries have been able to break into global markets and use their comparative advantage in cheap labour to lift millions of their citizens out of extreme poverty
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: What is a tariff? What is the impact of tariffs on poverty? How has free trade therefore reduced poverty?
-Tax placed on foreign goods to encourage people to shop domestically.
-Tariffs enable domestic producers to increase prices, as the competiton’s prices are so high. This means that prices go up, making them far less affordable, exacerbating poverty.
-Free trade means that tariffs are removed, reducing prices. It also means that countries are able to specialise in what they produce cheapest, abandoning those that they are costly, also reducing prices.
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: how does the success of the MDGs highlight the success of globalisation to reduce poverty?
- by opening up their markets to foreign investment , developing countries have been able to climb the development ladder
-MDGs= A set of goals developed by the UN, and they aim to reduce poverty, target things like HIV & Aids.
-China; Uses its supply of cheap labour to manufacture low-cost goods, enabling China’s exports to be, in 2019, worth $2.5tr.
-SK: IMF states that in 2020, they had the 10th biggest GDP, through companies like Hyundai. In the 70s, their economy had been roughly the same as North Korea’s, but by 2019, it was 54x larger. - vietnam is increasingly focusing on the development of its world export market, specialising in low-cost manufacturing
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: What has the impact of economic globalisation on Africa been?
-African countries have been able to take advantage of trading opportunities with their natural resources (like diamonds in Botswana, coffee in Cote d’Ivorie, and tea in Kenya).
-Their population has been expected to go from 1.4bn to 1.7bn between 2020-2030, meaning they will be able to tak advantage of youtful, cheap labour.
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: Has Africa benefitted from the increasing wealth in Asia?
-As their Asian economies grow, labour prices are getting higher, which makes them less advantageous for comapnies to manufacture in.
-Renault, Peugot, and Volkswagen are moving car production to African plants. Toyota now manufactures in Kenya, for example.
-In 2019, Microsoft opened its first African Development centre in Nairobi.
-The Mckinsey Report in 2017 stated that there were 10,00 chinese companies operating in Africa.
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: What has the impact of globalisation been on consumers? What is its impact on ideas?
-Driven down the cost of goods, allowing people to access things that had previously been available to only the wealthy. In 2020, 45% of the world owned a smartphone, and the cheapest (Freedom 251) was solf for less than $3.50.
-Encourages the spread of ideas, introducing more people to new ways of making products, doing business and innovating.t his benefits people by providing them with with access to new commodities and job opportunities. Johan Norberg in “Open” (2020) emphasised how this enables progress.
economic globalisation has reduced poverty: What has the impact been on the poverty cycle?
Employment opportunities procided by new sectors helps break the cycle of poverty. Jobs provided in factories/production allows people to earn a regular, living wage, along with the opportunity for career development to accumulate the wealth necessary to give their children a better education. Paul collier demonstrates the importance of globalisation in enabling this in “The Boston Billion” (2007).
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What does Wallerstein argue about Dependency theory?
-Globalisation locks developing states into permananet dependency status, if states open their borders to trade “too soon” they can be saddled with cheap manufacture, and they become dependent on cheap foreign imports.
-Termed this “neo-colonisalism,” where developing states are never enabled to become big players in world trade.
-They therefore provide markets and workforces for MNCs, without developing their own business interests.
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What does Ha-Joon Change argue?
-Developing countried should embrace globalisation only when they have reached sufficent development to withstand foreign competition & exploitation.
-He draws on the example of the US abandoning the system of subsidies and tarrifs, only when they were on a level playing field with industrial superpowers.
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What do critics of economic globalisation argue about wealth created by global free trade?
-While it had generated great wealth, this has been concentrated in the pockets of the elite, drastically increasing the gaps between the rich and the poor, without actually promoting the wellbeing of the poor.
-China has increased wealth in society, but there is massive disparity in income & opportunities between rural & urban.
-In India, in 2019, 1% of the population earned 21% of total income, compared to 11% in 1990 (the year before they openeed their markets).
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What has Chua argued? In the US, how has the income gap influenced politics?
-Chua argued that, by concentrating wealth in the the hands of the few, the majority harbour resentment & dissatisfaction (even if globalisation had marginally improved their positions), making them feel as though they are not better off, undermining social cohesion.
-1989-2016, the income gap in the US has doubled, and the number of middle income families dropped from 61% in 1971 to 51% in 2019. This had encouraged anger and resentment among the working class & middle-class voters, and has been integral to the election of Trump.
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What is the ‘race to the bottom’? Why do MNCs become powerful due to globalisation? How does China support this idea?
-Global capitalism is about maximising profit, so businesses seek to keep costs low, and countries there race to the bottom by minimising regulation.
-MNCs dictate countries’ policies, despite being undemocratic, unelected and unrepresentative. They are driven only by profit & take power away from real people due to the influence they wield over governments.
-Chinese companies often have low standards of corporate social responsibility, exploiting workers in the developing world. Chinese mining firms in Africa have been accused by Human Rights Watch of human rights abuses.
-Cheap labour is increasingly exploited, and HR abuses are ignored if they benefit the market. (180 HR groups have accused China of putting Uighur muslims into forced labour camps, but nothing has happened).
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What does the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster reveal? What does the 2019 New Dehli factory fire show about the problems of globalisation & workers’ rights?
-The consequences of cuting corners to attract businesses. 1,129 employees were killed when the factory collapsedm due to inadequate building regulations.
-A night-time fire killed 43 workers who slept at the factory. Shows how companies fail to investigate the conditions where manufacturing takes place.
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What do some argue is the issue with the power given to economic IGOs?
-Orgs like the WTO, World Bank, and IMF, lack democratic accountability, and this therefore means that when their free-trade damages the poorest, there is little anyone can do to challenge them.
-The austerity measures imposed on Greece in 2010 had been forced onto them by the IMF, which simply generated unrest, but had to be accepted nonetheless, creating a democratic defecit
- additionally some argue that the way in which the WTO agreements are made without reference to workers rights undermine the ability of labour unions to protect the rights of workers
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: What is the social & cultural impact of economic globalisation? What is the environmental impact?
-Leads to the destruction of local industry (rice in Ghana, ground nuts in Sierra Leone etc).
- opening up local markets to global competition such as the iMF, world bank and WTO can impact socialite. global challenges can lead to the breakdown of small industrys & agriculture that can ruin communities, and encourage crimes. - The spread of factories in developing countries can split up families & disrupt cultural observances due to the materialism that globalisation promotes. In China, spate of suicides among young, lonely workers at Foxconn factories.
-Environmentally, the UN’s 2011 Report estimated that it would take 30 years for Shell pollution in Niger Delta to be cleaned up.
-Economic globalisation encourages “throw-away” culture, in 2020 it was estimated that 12.7m tonnes of waste enter the sea every year.
economic globalisation has not reduced poverty: How does gloablisation reduce job security? Is this only in the developing world?
-Companies look to find cheap labour, which means long-term job security is unlikely. Chinese firms are increasingly moving to Africa/Vietnam for lower labour costs, suggesting there is very little security.
-During the 2016 election, both Bernie & Trump gained support from blue-collar workers, who felt that their factory jobs had been loaned off to Chinese/Mexican workers.
-In 2017, Trump said global competition had created “carnage,” as “one by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores.”
has globalisation impacted sovereignty: How far does tackling poverty happen in a global context?
-Through UN initiatives, like the MDGs, countries are forced to target poverty.
-Free-trade is also becoming increasingly prevalent, like the 2020 EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.
-Through MNCs, jobs are created for individuals in developing countries that have helped break generational cycles of poverty.
-Through the Bretton Woods Institutions, developing countries are helped to grow their economies, and they pursue measures to reduce poverty.
has globalisation impacted sovereignty: How far does poverty still happen in the context of exclusively the nation-state?
-MDGs are by no means binding, and it is still down to the nation-state to implement these changes.
-It is down the the nation-state to sign up to & work with Bretton Woods.
-Tackling poverty must still happen at a national level, otherwise governments begin to ignore the needs of their electorate, instead pandering to undemocratic MNCs.
Human rights: What is humanitarian intervention?
-When a foreign power intervenes in order to protect people from war crimes, ethnic cleansing and/or crimes against humanity.
Human rights: What intervention was there is Kosovo?
-Kosovo was a province of Serbia after WW1, and was a part of Yugoslavia.
-The Kosovo war was an armed conflict that started 28th Feb 1998.
-Fought by forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which controlled Kosovo before the war, and Kosovo Albanian rebel group (KLA).
-Ended with NATO airstrike intervention in March 1999.
Human rights: What were some reasons Blair gave for intervention in Kosovo? (Chicago speech in 1999).
-Intervention to avert humanitarian disaster, 10% of the population were homeless due to the Serbs, and 65,000 has been forced from the homes.
-Over 1 million refugees in Europe from former Yugoslavia.
-Wanted to prevent a knock-on effect in the rest of the Balkans, preventing further chaos.
-NATO had committed to previous threats that had been made, warning that intervetion would come if peace did not happen.
-Overall, reasons were European stability, Humanitarian crisis, and uphold NATO’s credibility.
Human rights: What were Trump & May’s stance on Kosovo intervention? (In comparison to Blair’s).
-Trump: “not to seek to impose our way of life on anyone.” -> “America First.”
-May: “The days of Britain and America intervening in sovereign countries in an attempt to remake the world in our image are over.”
Human rights: What is R2P?
-In 2005, the UN committed member states to the Responsibility to Protect, a global political committment saying that sovereignty is conditional upon a state protecting its citizens from genocide etc.
Human rights: Give some stats about the Syrian Civil War.
Out of a population of 22m:
-5m refugees have fled the country.
-6m have been displaced internally.
-UN estimated that 220,000 people have lost their lives.
-Chemical weapons have been used.
Human rights: What is the realist argument for the state as a source of civil liberties? What do Liberals think?
-States should determine civil liberties, as they promote the cultural heritage that their citizens enjoy. The diversity of cultural traditions indicates that each state should decide their own rights. There is therefore no legal justification for outside powers destabilising sovereignty.
-HRs are universal, not relative. The UDHR establishes human rights & freedoms that we all have access to, setting out core social, civil, and religious rights that we all enjoy. This is still not HARD law, as no one is bound to it.
globalisation has solved human rights: What is the ECHR? When was it created, and what has it impacted?
-European convention on Human Rights, created in 1950, post WW2, and it created the European Courts on Human Rights.
-Rulings of this court are not binding, but are often very impactful.
-In 1981, Jeff Dudgeon questioned NIs criminilisation of same sex marriage . After a 1982 ECHR ruling, domestic laws were altered to decriminalise same sex relationships.
-In 2021, ECHR began to invesigate claims that the Polish government had breached the separation of the judiciary and the state, undermining the Rule of Law in Poland.
globalisation has solved human rights: What is the New World Order? How were HRs promoted?
-After the end of the Cold War, & WW2, there was increasing appetite for development of universal standards for human rights.
-This led to the establisheent oh the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
-Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Kofi Annan, etc have all promoted the case.
globalisation has solved human rights: How has instant news had an impact on Human Rights? Give some examples of organisation who focus on HRs & some failures of the international community.
-HRs abuses can be instantly publicised, so the world can be made aware in seconds, which should, in theory, make HRs abuses easier to deal with.
-Human Rights Watch, Amnesty etc all work to spread awareness about human rights issues.
-There has been a lack of intervention in Rwandan Genocide in 1994, and hesitance over acting in Bosnian civil war.
globalisation has solved human rights: What is the impact of War Crime Tribunals? What about ICC?
-1993, UNSC created International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia to deal with war crimes from the Balkan conflict, and, since, it has been used for HR abuses in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.
-2002, the Rome Statute (1998) created ICC. This has been used to try those indicted fro war crimes, and hoped to establish an internationally recognised court.
-By 2021, 123 nation-sattes ratified the Rome Statute, and (from 2002-2024) ICC made 11 convictions. It has put out 55 arrest warrants, including Thomas Lubunga, who used child soldiers in the DRC.
globalisation has not solved human rights: What is the only way that human rights law works?
-If Nation-states are prepared to make it work, and the ECHR/UDHR all rely on soft power, lacking any actual authority.
-States too often pursue their best interests over Human Rights, as they do not fear the punishment if they act in definace of international law.
globalisation has not solved human rights: How has the ICC been undermined?
-China, Russia, and the US (3/5 permanent members of the UNSC) have not set a good example, all refusing to accept some ICC jurisdiction.
-2014, ICC withdrew indictment of Kenyan President Kenyatta for inciting ethnic violence.
-2016, Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute, after the annexation of Crimea.
-In March 2018, Duterte announced that the Philippines would withdraw from the ICC, following the court’s decision to open a preliminary examination into alleged human rights abuses in his war on drugs.
globalisation has not solved human rights: What is wrong with the ECHR?
-Member states may “derogate” from it during a crisis. The UK did this in 1975, during the Troubles, claiming that Republicans arrested during Operation Demetrius could not appeal.
-In 2020, the UK was criticised by the Council of Europe, for failing to comply with ECHR judgements involving illegal killings by security forces in Northern Ireland.
-Turkey’s suppression of Civil liberties. In 2020, the relase of Osman Kavala was demanded, having been in custody w/o trial since 2017, but they didn’t comply.
-Both the ECHR & ICC fail in that they lack any hard persuasion/power, leaving them with very little ability to affect HRs. Nationalist leaders like Putin have affirmed the continued supremacy of the state, against orgs like the ECHR.
conflict: How has humanitarian intervention changed?
-Pre-2000s, intervention was fairly successful, and consistent. After Iraq, though, states have become increasingly reluctant to intervene, depsite evident human rights abuses occuring.
-Amid the rise of nationalist populism, states have been concerned far more with domestic matters than R2P.
conflict: How far was Obama justified in his inaction in Syria? Did Trump later act?
-Obama had previously established a “red-line” about the use of Chemical weapons in Syria and, by 2013, the Assad regime killed many by using weapons in Ghouta.
-His inaction was somewhat justified, as the blowout could’ve led to greater death tolls, and the UK were unwilling to provide support.
-There were later attacks in 2017 on Khan Shaykhun & in 2018 in Douma, both of which led to Trump sending missile strikes.
conflict: why has there been a decline in humanitarian intervention?
- in Rwanda and Chechnya, the global community failed to confront mass killings since these were going on within states, and so it could be claimed, were outside the jurisdiction of any other body
- the failure of the US’ Iraq intervention made states wary to intervene
- there was less domestic appetite for it seen in 2013 with David Camerons syria vote
conflict: Give some stats about Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar? Why has there been little action?
-UN stated Myanmar’s government showed “genocidal intent” towards Rohingya, and in 2017 it launched a military campaign against them, forcing 700,000 to flee Myanmar. In 2020 ICJ ruled that Myanmar must take all measure possible to protect remaining Rohingya from genocide.
-The alliance of China and Myanmar means that states, for fear of Chinese intervention, are unwilling to protect the right of Rohingya.
globalisation has solved conflict: Give some examples of successes of humanitarian involvement?
-Success: 1992 Somalia (Bush sends US troops), 1992 Balkans (NATO intervenees), 1999 Kosovo (NATO bombs Serbia to prevent ethnic cleansing), 2011 Cote d’Ivorie (UN French forces take military action, and Gbango arrested in April).
globalisation has not solved conflict: Give some examples of inaction of humanitarian involvement?
-Inaction: 1991 Yugoslavia (UN hesitates, and no side is taken), 1994 Rwanda (800,000 Tutsis were killed in genocide), 1999-2009 Chechnya (Russian forces stamp independence, killing 160,000).
globalisation has not solved conflict: Give some examples of failures of humanitarian involvement?
-Failures: 2003 Iraq (UK/US intervention, without UNSC approval, leads to deaths of 1/2 a million), 2001-Present Afghanisation (inaction from powers has enabled the Taliban to take control, and led to horrifc suppression of women).
globalisation has solved environmental issues: in what ways has the environment been better tackled due to globalisation?
-IGOs have highlighted the issue of climate change, bringing it to the fore of public knowledge, UN’S IPCC highlights these dangers.
-As a collective dilema, the issue of the environment has to be solved in a global context.
globalisation has not solved environmental issues: in what ways has the environment been neglected due to globalisation?
-However, large scale industrialisation for the sake of reducing poverty has increased emissions + population increased have worsened this (6.1bn -> 7.8bn, 2000 -> 2020).
-Also, UN has no coercive power, and states are completely sovereign in this issue (Trump Administration abandoned the Paris Agreement).
Culture: Define cultural hemogenisation, cultural globalisation, and monocuture.
-Hemogenisation: The process by which the characteristics which made the cultures of nation-states different from each other are ironed out, encouraging a uniform global culture.
-Globalisation: Process bywhich people anywhere in the world take aprt in the same homogenised global culture, so that our similarites are stronger than our differences.
-Monoculture: Consequence of hemogenisation, a culture we (arguably) now live in.
globalisation has created a global monoculture: What did Benjamin Barber argue? List 4 examples that support his theory.
-He argued that we have a “McWorld Culture,” where people all over the world crave the same entertainment & Aericanised food.
-2020, Subway was the biggest restaurant chain in the world, with 43,000 outlets.
-In 2020, there were 40,000 McDonalds, employing >2,000,000 people.
-Biggest restaurant chains in China are KFC, McDonalds, & Buger King.
-In India, McDonalds is the dominant fast food restaurant.
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: How could ideas about “McWorld Culture” be challenged?
-Cultural globalisation does not create a bland, shallow monoculture, but has actually just diversified out world and culture. Essentially, it is diveristy, not uniformity.
-For example, Netflix provides an array of non-American films & TV, with shows like the Crown & Squid Game (with 111m viewers) surging in popularity.
-In 2020, Parasite won Best Picture.
-Spread of K-Pop through bands like BTS!
-bollywood emulates hollywood
-there are 7,000 Irish-themed pubs globally and st Patricks day is celebrated with parades around the world
-japanese manga and anime have a world following
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: How has there been Russian backlash in reaction to the monoculture?
-Russia has quite famously rejected the westernisation & globalisation of culture, arguably forcing them BACK to severe conservatism.
-This has led to the prosecution of people who promote liberal ideas & values, like Alexei Navalry.
-This has led to the revival of the Orthodox Church.
-Also, led to media suppression, and lack of freedom of speech.
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: what is glocalisation? and e.g
- glocalisation enables local communities to mould global brands to their own culture, which demonstrates that globalisation may be more subtle than ‘coca-colonisation’
-famous brands such as McDonalds have adapted to local conditions, serving lobster burgers in Canada and vegetarian burgers to the hindu market in India - in china, Starbucks has flourished by offering matcha
- the way British shows such as the office have been adapted to American audiences shows glocalisation
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: What can cultural globalisation actually lead to? (In a roundabout way). what does Herbert Marcuse think? What does Tony Benn think?
-Cultural globalisation can actually reinforce traditional ethni & national identities, through negative backlash (people have been increasingly moving towards traditional culture in the midst of globalisation, like the growing popularity of Welsh).
- Marcuse thinks that an obsession with materialism diminished our humanity. “the need for possessing, consuming, handling… has become a biological need”
-Benn argues that it creates more division within society, as people fear they have no control over globalisation, and they increasingly turn towards the known, leading to anti-immigration sentiment.
-It has therefore given people a more insular outlook, on the world, and has not brought people together.
-he said “when things go wrong everyone rallies around their own tribe…and fights off anyone else”
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: How has this led to the rise of identity politics?
-Leaders now increasingly focus on campaigns claiming to protect traditional culture, and to defned it against outside influence.
-This has been through politicans like Marine Le Pen & her National Rally, Boris Johnson & Brexit (also Farage!), and, most notably, Trump’s ‘America First’ campaign.
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: what is Huntington’s paradox?
- the popularity of western-influenced consumer goods Cana actually create a negative reaction rather than a global monoculture. this is because threatened cultures can seek to reassert their own values in defiance of ‘coca-cocolonisation’
- huntington especially focuses on the war in which globalisation of these western values might be seen as a threat to islam, making cultural conflict between Western and islamic civilisations significant risk.
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: Give some examples of Huntingdon’s paradox.
-In 2021, gay sex was still illegal in 69 countries, and punishable by death in 11. Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, warned Western powers that the must “respect African societies and their values.”
-In Russia, the rise of the Orthodox Church. In 2020, they approved a new constitution, restricting marriage to a man & a woman.
-Chinese government has not become any more democratic & continues to impose authoritarianism on Hong Kong.
globalisation has not created a global monoculture: What evidence is there that here has been clashes between Islam & the West?
- some political leaders islamic countries have been critical of liberal values, creating a clash with the values held by most western states. for example turkeys long term president critiquing feminism stating “our religion has denied a position for women: motherhood”. he also strongly criticised feminism
- the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan
- some powerful militant islamist groups, as Huntington predicted, have gained significant power in recent decades and have pitched themselves against both western foreign policy and culture e.g 9/11
globalisation has created a more global monoculture: What evidence is there that here has not been clashes between Islam & the West? How did Edward Said critique Huntingdon?
-individuals like Malala Yousafzai champion Western ideas showing that many powerful muslim civil society activists and human rights advocates campaign for improved women’s and LGBTQ+ rights
- there are democratic muslim states seen in 1988 when Indonesia transitioned from an authoritarian regime towards becoming the world’s most populous muslim democracy
- it is not just in islam that socially conservative values are found. the Orthodox Church in Russia has become increasingly against lgbtq+ rights, and republicans in America seek to limit women’s reproductive rights
-Said states that there have been many different traditions within Islam, and so Huntingdon generalises abut the beliefs of the 2bn Muslims, misleading many. Groups like Al-Qaeda are definitively the minority.
what do liberals believe about globalisation?
- liberals are globalisation optimists, they argue that globalisation is a way of encouraging greater connectivity between states and people. according to the dell theory of conflict resolution, the way in which economic globalisation has dramatically increased global trade binds countries into the same global supply chains, preventing conflict. globalisation has also developed cooperation over issues such s climate change, terrorism and conflict resolution. the advance of regionalism also challenges the primacy of the nation state, reducing the risk that nationalist rivalries may lead to war. a more globalised world, they argue, will be a safer world. embracing globalisation is the only way to avoid war in the future
what do realists believe about globalisation?
- realists are sceptical about the extent to which globalisation can or should challenge the primacy of the nation states. they claim that states should act according to the interests of its citizens. it is dangerous to put constraints on states freedom of action and pool sovereignty because can undermine the absolute right of a state to determine itself. they challenge liberals and think that attempts of universal human rights can challenge Westphalian principles of state sovereignty. humanitarian intervention is likely to cause more harm than good as Henry Kissinger said “with a bleeding heart have to let go”. realists also argue that states should advance the interests of their own citizens in global trade and so are generally less ideologically committed to free trade than liberals.
What do hyper-globalisers think? What do Globalisation Sceptics think? What do Transformationalists think?
-We are in a post-sovereign nation state world that is increasingly borderless. The state must now work within the globalised scene, and with global governance.
-They question the extent of globalisation and whether it is new. The nation state is still of importance, as was clear during Brexit.
-Globalisation has changed the way states operate, but has not destroyed it. Increased membership of IGOs, & the prevalence of MNCs mean that they have new things to contend with, but they are still sovereign. China exemplifies the fact that globalisation can increase state’s authority.
globalisation challenges the nation state: How has economic globalisation altered nation-states?
-World is so economically intertwined, that states can no longer insulate themselves from global financial crises.
-States are beginning to shape policy to attract MNCs, as Silva’s government did in Brazil in 2003 when they dropped socialist commitments.
-Government’s freedom of action in terms of trade has been restricted, but this has been done to increase prosperity.
globalisation challenges the nation state: How has intergovernmentalism changes states?
-IGOs have bound interests of nation-states together, and states have to accept their judgement, even if its against their national interest.
-WTO, IMF, & World Bank give states conditions which they have no choice but to accept.
-UN Tribunals + ICC have set up a universal standard, and IGOs are increasingly solving collective dilemas.
globalisation challenges the nation state: How have regional organisations changed nation-states?
-Regionalism has also impacted state sovereignty.
-These regional bodies are binding on member states, typically in terms of free-trade, but also free-movement (most EU States still adhere to Schengen Agreement, a treaty that establishes European regions without internal borders).
globalisation challenges the nation state: how has the internet changed the nation-state?
-Internet can supercede physical borders & access to anti-government websites increases.
-Radicalisation via the internet can create new supranational identities. This became clear during the Arab Spring.
-Threat of hackers also challenges governments, as they can now penetrate the heart of government, arguably making territorial protection irrelevant to a state’s survival.
-Trump being banned from Twitter in 2021 shows MNCs influence on leaders’ ability to communicate.
globalisation challenges the nation state: How have NGOs changed the nation-state?
-Transnational influence extends beyond borders, and pressure groups like Human Rights Watch, & Greenpeace, now influence government debates & policy.
-Work of individuals like Thunberg/Atteborough has been more significant in highlighting fears about climate change.
-The near-total eradication of guinea-worm disease has been due to the work of the Carter Centre etc.
globalisation challenges the nation state: How have Challenges from Below changed the nation state?
-Globalisation, instead of creating hegemony, has actually led to people wishing to define themselves by their own nationalist identities have weakend government.
-Aims for self-determination from the people have dictated government policy.
-Kosovo and East Timor’s independence has been justified on the grounds of self-determination, and the Russian annexation of Crimea was based upon nationalist principles that Crimeans view themselves as Russians, not Ukrainians.
-2014 Scottish independence referendum showcased clear demands for indepence, and forced parties towards greater devolution.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: What are some views about the limits of liberalism?
The nation-state remains a key-decision maker, and nation states chose how much they are willing to work alongside other countries.
-Meetings of the G7 conclude with communiques were member states assert their intentions, but member states retain the right to not work alongside them.
-Paris Climate Agreement can only be achieved by state’s fulfilling their promises. Trump, in his ‘America First’ campaign, withdrew from it, and also began to negotiate deals outside of the WTO.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has globalisation affected Policy & the state?
-States retains power over policies that determine the lives of their citizens.
-State determines fiscal policy, education, and responses to Covid exemplify the primacy of the state.
-Can also police the internet. The Chinese firewall is highly effective and Russian legislation bans ‘undesirable’ foreign NGOs from operating in the country.
-States therefore remain crucial in determining how citizens lead their lives, not just in terms of trade & economy, but culture & education.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has it affected National borders & security?
-Globalisation has not led to borders deteriorating, and the War on Terror (+ events of 9/11), have only strengthened borders.
-US Department for Homeland Security was established in 2002, and polices borders & had 240,000 employees in 2020.
-Syrian refugee crisis had called into question the passport-free travel within the Schengen Agreement Zone.
-Covid also emphasised the importance of retaining strong borders.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has it affected Human rights & Civil Liberties?
-Liberals had hoped for universalisation of human rights, after the end of teh Cold War, and they hoped that democratic values of the US would win out.
-However, religious & political world views have generally prevailed, and the rise of the Russian Orthodox Church exemplifies this.
-UDHR is often seen as Western Imperialism.
-The Bangkok Declaration provided a clear statement of ‘Asian Values’, which focus on the communal values, rather than those of the individual.
-Nation-states are therefore still the main arbiters of human rights.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has it affected International law?
-China refused to join the ICC. The US, wh have also not signed, have made bilateral trade agreements with other countries, obliging them to not submit US personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
-Judgements of the ICJ require states to accept the in order for it to be enforced, suggesting it’s fairly insignificant in terms of actual hard power. The UK, for example, ignored the ICJ’s ruling about the Chagos Islands for 5 years.
-Internation Law is overwhelmingly ‘soft’, ie India/Pakistan recieved no backlash for their violation of the NPT.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has it affected State Egoism?
-States still overwhelmingly act out of self-interest, rather than liberal values. Even the UK/US ignored the jurisdiction of the UNSC for the Iraq War.
-Defence spending by the US, China, and Russia, is all increasing drastically, and China is increasing its geostrategic position in South China Sea.
-The main players in the Syrian Civil War (Iran, Russia, & Turkey), each have their own strategic objectives in the region, which have undermined attempts to achieve a political settlement acceptable to all.
-States are essentially ‘power-maximisers’.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has it affected National Allegiance?
-State loyalty is still of mass importance, and national identities still helped dictate a sense of self.
-Putin reasserted the Russian identity, saying “we will be sovereign or we will dissolve in the world.”
-In Europe, Populist parties are increasing in popularity, like the French National Rally, and Alternative for Germany.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: How has Giorgia Meloni exemplified the rise of identity politics, in opposition to globalisation?
-Meloni, Italian PM, is the leader of the ‘Brothers of Italy’, a statist, nationalist party, with historic links to facism.
-Meloni is generally viewed as a “neoliberal populist” who capitalises on the rise of identity politics, and of people’s frustration with incumbents.
-Meloni has pursued anti-immigration, and traditionalist policy. Her Rwanda-style asylum seeker program has been implemented, with up to 3,000 being moved to Albania (though only 24 were actually sent in the first month).
-She also follows traditional conservatism, with attempts to promot nuclear families, and through anti-queer policy.
globalisation does not challenge the nation state: Is globalisation a new phenomenon?
-Some critics of hyper-globalisers argue that globalisation is, by no means, a new issue.
-The expanse of the British Empire from 1870-1913 has been generally called the first modern globalisation, as it promoted trade, and the sharing (rather forcibly) of British values & ideas.
