¶ … 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...
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…
