Globalization=Reality
I think that globalization is a reality, whether posotive or negative. Globalization is driven by powerful nations and the powerful countries that operate within them. Globalization is driven by free market economic practices. I think that the same ideals that have made American manufacturing companies so succesful in the past are now forcing them to outsource. In the past, a company's bottom line was driven by a strong domestic work-force. I think a more skilled, overseas labor force is now taking replacing the domestic one.
I listened to a lot of public radio this past summer while at work. I heard Thomas Friedman speak two or three times about his book "The World Is Flat." I think that Thomas Friedman feels that globalization is a very strong and persuasive reality. I think the most interesting thing about globalization is what we as a nation and a powerful consumer force can do to preserve our own domestic work force. I don't think Thomas Friedman is debating the validity of blobalization but rather, the ways in which people and societies need to adapt to be successful in the future.
I have heard Thomas Friedman speak to the fact that it is impossible to outsource creativity and pure innovation. I think these are important values of the American economy and it would be interesting to discuss this idea in the course.
Comments
I agree with Elliot's point of view about how globalization is indeed a reality. There's no way people could begin to stop all the technological advances happening around the world. Based on history, I think that sooner or later a bad, tragic event will take place and by then it will be too late. It seems that no matter how much you ponder the future, people always push to the limit until something goes wrong and millions of people get hurt. Whether this being a war, or potentially millions of people running out of jobs and money since there's "nothing left to discover" in the world. Virtually, there's no turning back now. New inventions, quicker and cheaper technology, faster communication, robots and machines to take over human labor are all in our future i bet.
Posted by: Kayla Brenner | September 8, 2006 12:07 AM
I agree with both Elliot and Kayla that globalization is an ever-present entity, and that someday, unfortunately, globalization will turn into something very harmful to the world.
Posted by: Debra Krein | September 12, 2006 11:23 PM