Globalization and Commanding Heights Video

Commanding Heights
The overall argument that is being made in the Commanding Heights video is not a new one. However, it is one that is seemingly becoming more impossible to ignore every day. At issue is the fact that there are two overall forces that are commonly at odds. On one side is the increased globalization and how the world is getting smaller and more interconnected by the day. On the other side of the ledger are the forces that often push back, sometimes violently, when it comes to the globalization that is being pushed upon them. While there would seem to be no stopping the globalization efforts, the pushback that is coming from some forces is sometimes violent and bloody.
Analysis
One of the examples of pushback that is given almost right away from the video is the 9/11 attacks. There is also the framing of the argument that the two sides to the conflict in question can be framed as the government and the market. There is also the idea being pushed that capitalism is the new and accepted way that things are done. The author is not sure if the latter is as true as one might think. A good amount of Europe, for example, is rather socialist. China, on the other hand, is Communist when it suits them but capitalist in many respects. Regardless, any perceived changes to the paradigm are considered to be a disruption (Yergin, 2016).
A similar disruption is discussed in the latter part of Part I. Indeed, there was the talk of Laker and how he wanted to disrupt the high prices and lack of competition that was enjoyed and coveted by Pan Am. Contrary to what some might think would happen in response, the answer at the time was to undo the regulation and rules and allow for freer competition. The author is concerned that such an approach would never happen nowadays. Even if Trump and the GOP wanted such an action done in a market sphere, the progressive forces would probably demand the opposite, especially in light of what happened prior to the Great Recession in the housing and credit markets. However, the way in which things played out with the airline industry worked well, on the whole. However, other efforts and patterns, especially in certain countries, was less positive. Indeed, attempts at capitalism in some areas and countries led to a great amount of increase of inequality. Even so, the author of this report feels that even with the greater inequilaty seen after changes to countries like Chile (per the video), restriction of freedom and competition is not generally going to work well. Military juntas in particular should not be the norm. Overt government control has its time and place (e.g. during the United States Civil War when Lincoln imposed martial law). However, people should be free. The question becomes whether all peoples are at a point where they can do that. The tumult in modern situations like Egypt from the end of Mubarak to now is just one example of why the question should be asked. Morsi was duly elected and then he tried to take over as a dictator. However, the end of Pinochet was, overall, an example of how it can be done in a positive way (Yergin, 2016).
In watching the latter part of part II, the skyrocketing inflation in Russia could easily be compared to what is going on right now in Venezuela. In that case as well as this one, it proves that the existing system and regime will not work. Maduro needs to acquiesce and be open to important changes just like what happened in Russia in the past. However, some of the facets oif the Russian reforms seem to parallel the bad things that are happening in Venezuela right now. There are those that just cannot accept any contrary ideas. These are the people that want to blow up the government and the military. As noted by the video, there is the idea that there needs to be a focus on actually reforming the economy rather than who has the power. In the case of Russia, the Communists were obviously wrong and the breaking up of that legal structure led to a new day for Russia. Per the throng of people by the government building, the reaction was extremely positive (Yergin, 2016).
Finally, it is established by the third part of the video that the “rules of the game” have changed, mostly in the form of the internet changing things forever and in ways that cannot be pulled back. However, the third video also shows the newer ways in which people keep pushing back and resisting what is happening. The explosive protests that are shown from Seattle are just one example. What is concerning, however, is that many of these frustrations and tantrums are specifically and intentionally be channeled. Free speech and protest is all well and good but co-opting the post-modernist violence that is on full display in Seattle circa 1999, it is just not something that the author of this response is comfortable with (Yergin, 2016).
Conclusion
On the whole, the world would seem to be moving in the right overall direction. However, there are some rather massive causes for concern. Just a few of these include the current racial- and political-related clashes in the United States, the nuke issue with the North Koreans and so on. One would hope that a pragmatic and reasonable solutions will be found and the people that are just seeking violence and unrest are unset in terms of their existence and ideology.






References
Yergin, D. (2016). Commanding Heights Episode 1- Battle of Ideas (Official Video). YouTube.
Retrieved 15 August 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoWbm8zUG6Y&
index=1&list=PLoPTkDOjWQ72ztky8XupBu5ooR49hE8TC