Commercial globalization is making the world more polarized and prone to conflict. Security experts observe that this globalization has national security implications and is eroding the power of nation-states through world trade and financial bodies
Globalisation, in its essence, is a process wherein the various countries get easily interconnected to promote social, economic and cultural exchanges. Current globalization is, however, primarily limited to economic activity. Now the World Trade Organisation (WTO) controls international trade. This has been done to ease international trade by reducing the possibility of individual countries putting up trade barriers. Economists claim that this has given people easier access to goods and services at cheaper prices. But in reality, it has retarded the manufacturing industry in the developed countries and in India. It has also helped efficient, low-cost Asian economies like that of China, to prosper.
Today, an American or an Indian can buy a commodity made in China at a much cheaper price than the one made within their country. Unlike in the past, over 70% of the goods sold in the developed countries like the US and those in Europe are not made in their country, and consequentially, millions of common people have lost their jobs. Even in India, due to its poor infrastructure and unfriendly manufacturing policies, a large number of goods of every variety are being imported. There is a sharp and progressive decline in manufacturing in India since 1991. Many Indian manufacturers are selling Chinese goods under their brand. Even in the case of the service industry, thanks to the fast progress of the telecom, micro-electronics and IT industries, the job market potential has shifted to countries like India and Philippines.
Revolution in communication and information technologies has further helped beneficiaries of globalisation like multinational companies and big business groups through faster and easier growth of free trade and electronic commerce. Consequential and seemingly uncontrollable power of deregulated capital markets has also done much to enhance the power of markets to the extent that it creates a sense of economic irrelevance of national borders.
In actuality, commercial globalization is making the world more polarized and prone to conflict. Its proponents claim that it facilitates integration, promotes openness and encourages institutional reform—though the fact remains that it is limited almost exclusively to commercial interests of multinational firms and branded merchandise owners. Consider for instance, a Chinese shirt costing $2 that sells at $20 to the end customers. Shocks associated with such globalization—limited only to trade—is causing a financial crisis everywhere, and has led to economic instability in the world. As a result, it has actually widened the gaps within and between countries. The rich are getting richer, thereby widening the gap between the rich and the poor in every country.
Security experts observe that this globalization of commerce, initiated at the behest of the business world, has national security implications and is eroding the power of nation-states through world trade and financial bodies.
Knowledge has become a commodity
The intellectual property regime has made knowledge a commodity meant for commercial exploitation to achieve unlimited financial benefit and in some cases, for the suppression of new inventions, by buying and burying the intellectual property that would hurt corporate interest. For example, it is well known that the pharmaceutical industry prevents the unfurling of any new knowledge that would hurt their drug sale. On the other hand, traditional knowledge amongst the old and largely poor global societies remains unprotected, severely undervalued and used for free by big businesses. The patenting regime and the corporate control of agriculture effectively obliterate the last link of the poor to survival. A certain amount of guilt in this respect is reflected in attempts to create a Public Sector Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture by the Rockefeller Foundation, but this too is facing severe opposition by the drug industry. Corporate control of agriculture is yet another gift of globalisation limited to commercial interest of businesses and capital market gamblers.
Media Manipulation
Today, governments surrender their sovereignty to international aid institutions and indulge in taking shortcuts for so called speeding up of development after failing consistently to address even the survival issues of the country's poor. There are many ex-employee pensioners of world bodies, who are now involved in governing nations, and serve as ambassadors of commercial globalisation. Technology too helps multi-nationals and other biggies, since traditional press media is being replaced by the television that helps them to deliver their marketing messages even to the rural illiterate, by crossing the barriers of literacy. South Asia is the home of almost 45% of the world’s poor, who are mostly illiterate. Commercial media reaches these people via at least 60 broadcast satellites to watch over 500 channels beamed at them. They carry new kind of messages that are magnetic and magical with the sole purpose of promoting an all-consuming lifestyle through lure and fear, enticing them to buy branded goods. It also promotes greed and ruthlessness to promote a money-centric life that poses a huge threat to more enduring social values that promote love and community bonding. It is interesting to know that the ownership, control and use of this medium has commercial exploitation as its primary interest and has nothing to do with informing the uninformed of the ways and means to lead a peaceful and rewarding life. Advertisers control the entertainment and content since producers, in reality, depend on corporate sponsorships. Information and communication technologies have indeed shrunk distances, but they have not brought people together. In fact, it is creating a highly individualised and parochial society and in the process, hurting its diversity and charm.
A close look at the concept of today’s commercial globalisation tells us that it allows big multinational companies and large business groups to exploit people worldwide, and in the process ruin national economies and use lure and fear to promote greed and excessive consumption. Historically, it was evolved out of a nexus between US politicians and multi-national conglomerates. Business schools train the swarms of MBA graduates to ride the globalisation bandwagon. Executive pays in these businesses is the proverbial carrot that attracts talents from other professions. There is no doubt that globalisation is singularly responsible for the worldwide economic meltdown. It is clear that the globalisation practiced today cannot serve humankind, nor will it bring the people of the world closer emotionally. Besides augmenting the profits of big businesses, it has done the greatest social harm by making life money-centric.
This globalization is not about a borderless world
Sant Dnyaneshwar is the most revered saint of Maharashtra. Dnyaneshwar Mauli, (Mother Dnyaneshwar) as he is called by his disciples like me, was the first one in the world to uphold the principle of globalisation. His insightful prayer starts with ‘he vishwachi maze ghar’ (the entire universe is my home). His globalisation was about the oneness of a borderless world. The current, MNC sponsored commercial globalisation must be making Mauli very uncomfortable in his Samadhi!
(PS Deodhar is founder and former chairman of the Aplab Group of companies. He is also the former chairman of the Electronics Commission of the Government of India and was an advisor to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on electronics. He also was the chairman of the Broadcast Council in 1992-93 that set in motion the privatisation of the electronic media with metro channels.)
