Morals of Globalization Trends

¶ … global issues is something that I do a lot of, so I would not say that my thinking has changed, though perhaps my ideas have been reinforced. There are some interesting paradoxes involved. Consider Hans Rosling's (2010) talk about population growth, which is occurring at a tremendous pace. We are part of the world's greatest-ever population explosion. Now juxtapose that with Molinari's (2012) discussion about the digital divide.

We are seeking to improve the standard of living -- and not just in terms of the digital divide but a wide range of public issues -- clean water, plumbing, electricity, access to health care -- and we are trying to do it in a world characterized by rapidly growing populations. The countries where these issues are the most pronounced are often the countries with the most rapidly-growing populations. So my thinking has basically been reinforced here -- there are two trends at work simultaneously.

One is concern for the implications -- often negative -- of rapid population growth and the other is concern for how living standards can be raised, essentially swimming upstream in many countries. There is a distinct paradox between wanting a rapid pace of economic growth while simultaneously being concerned about large amounts of the world's population being unable to consume at the level we do in wealthy countries. 2. Globalization stimulates arguments because it is a complex issue, not easily understood.

Most people frame the issue through their own lens, how they perceive it affects them and the people and communities with which they are familiar. Opponents focus on the people worse off, proponents focus on the people better off. These are views driven by emotion, by differences in underlying value systems, and by differences in the level of understanding of the issues. What is a critical issue to one side might be a minor issue to another side, and vice versa. Yet, such arguments are irrelevant.

Globalization as an abstract concept is neutral, and most of the forces driving it are aggregate forces out of anybody's hands. Opposition in particular may be framed as generalization, but is usually related to one specific aspect of it, such as a pending free trade deal. The only reasonable arguments are with respect to what can be controlled -- and whether we as human beings are exercising appropriate control to ensure that the outcomes of globalization are substantially greater than the costs.

There is a moral premise to this reasoning -- the underlying value that actions taken should have a net positive impact. On a personal level, I feel there is benefit to the utilitarian argument when evaluating the decisions that contribute to globalization, but others have different underlying moral arguments. Protestors often have more of a harm principle approach, while lawmakers have a more strictly legal view that justifies anything done so long as it is legal.

These differing -- sometimes drastically differing moral philosophies underpin much of the debate about globalization, regardless of whether that debate is emotional or rational in nature. Very few authors on the subject seem to be particularly open about their moral stance, but Lee, Smith & Dicken (2008) specifically argue globalization from the perspective of distributive justice, providing some clear moral framing for the anti-globalization side. 3. Citizens should engage with each other about these issues. First, doing so would expose one to different perspectives.

It is valuable for people understand different sides of the story, especially when they are having an emotional response to something. People who get mad about horrible labor conditions in sweatshops, for example, have usually never spoken to a sweatshop worker about whether they think they are gaining value from that employment. Different perspectives challenge worldviews, and that doesn't mean people will change their minds about anything, but it is valuable for people to understand that theirs is not the only valuable perspective in this world.

Conversely, people who are generally opposed to globalization, or one of its aspects and manifestations, should benefit from finding out that there are people in other places with the same mindset. A lot of what drives globalization is driven by those in positions of power. Those without access to.