Book Review: Globalization Unplugged by Peter Urmetzer

Overview of Urmetzer's Argument

In Globalization Unplugged: Sovereignty and the Canadian State in the Twenty-First Century, Peter Urmetzer tackles the question of whether globalization truly detracts from a country's sovereignty. While reviewing the literature and history of globalization, he evaluates the term from all angles in search of a clearer understanding of what it means. Although he concludes, after careful consideration, that it is impossible to definitively define globalization, he establishes that it is not a new phenomenon and backs up this point with solid evidence. Most significant to his argument, however, is an understanding of how globalization and capitalism have affected Canada. In making his claim that globalization does not hinder the sovereignty of a nation-state, Urmetzer employs strong analysis by approaching the issue from an unbiased perspective using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Attempting to make sense of the perception of globalization, Urmetzer tries to define the term and its historical significance. He understands the power of the term and the effects it is perceived to have on the nation-state, but he notes that the "empirical foundations of how it has affected Canada remain largely unexamined" (Urmetzer 2005: 3). This makes Urmetzer's work a unique piece of literature in the cluttered, Americanized field of globalization studies. In Globalization Unplugged, Urmetzer examines the effects of globalization on Canada in ways that can be applied to other nation-states as well. This becomes increasingly challenging because the term "globalization" can be used to refer to "everything and anything" (Urmetzer 2005: 4). Thus, before turning to the empirical evidence, Urmetzer wisely and effectively sets out to understand the term before drawing conclusions about the effects of globalization on Canada and other nation-states.

Defining Globalization: A Catch-All Term

Urmetzer is fully aware of the vast range of literature and discussion on globalization, and he makes this clear throughout Globalization Unplugged. Before attempting to understand the implications of globalization for Canada and ultimately for the nation-state, he tries to make sense of this "catch-all term" used "to explain everything from rapidly changing communications technology to increased unemployment" (Urmetzer 2005: 3). In doing so, Urmetzer engages with the common perception of what globalization is believed to be. Because globalization is not an academic term but rather one that has gained prevalence through popular usage, he accepts the notion that globalization is "undermining the power of the state" as his working premise (Urmetzer 2005: 17). It is a true strength of his work that Urmetzer defines globalization in the best way possible in order to conduct his evaluation. By defining this presumably indefinable term in relative terms, he is able to make arguments about what globalization means for Canada.

More important, in trying to understand the term, is Urmetzer's appreciation of globalization as being "both new and old" according to "globalists" (Urmetzer 2005: 31). This later becomes a key point in his argument, but in his opening chapter, entitled "The Life and Times of Globalization," Urmetzer takes a broad approach to the issue before narrowing down to its core meaning. This approach lends itself to a definition of globalization without overlooking what has defined the term in other literature and interpretations. Ultimately, Urmetzer considers the existing arguments on globalization and then makes valid points of his own. To Urmetzer, globalization means interconnections between nations that have increased considerably since World War II, and that nation-state sovereignty has been weakened in this process. It is this final point — widely accepted as a truth about globalization — that Urmetzer seeks to evaluate without political rhetoric or pretense.

Historical Roots of Globalization

Before turning to the empirical evidence, Urmetzer situates the problem in its historical context — the new and the old. He does so by comparing globalization to the problem presented in Marxism of the eventual takeover by capitalism. Because of this lineage, globalization has been present for hundreds of years and can be linked to the era of colonialism. In a key point, Urmetzer notes that because globalization has existed for centuries, its effects on sovereignty must be evaluated from a different angle. The "victory of capitalism" expressed in The Communist Manifesto has been projected for years, and thus globalization must be evaluated in terms broader than recent advances in free-market trade (Urmetzer 2005: 47). For instance, a country's relationship to the periphery of the world market must be considered, because the economic history of globalization can be traced back more than 500 years. The fact that globalization has become more prominent since World War II does not make it a new phenomenon, and Urmetzer's review of the literature helps to illustrate this point.

In evaluating the term globalization through the first third of his work, Urmetzer offers a better understanding of what it means. As an overused term, this definitional groundwork is crucial to setting the stage for the crux of his argument: how, in recent years, globalization has impacted Canada. Although he does not directly link the history of globalization to his argument in a mechanical way, by helping the reader understand the broad notion of the term, he shows how misconceptions regarding globalization can lead to premature judgments — judgments made without proper evaluation of empirical evidence and therefore prone to false claims about globalization's impact on nation-states. By first demonstrating a solid understanding of the historical process of globalization and how it relates to Canada and all nation-states, Urmetzer is able to place his study in proper perspective without being bogged down by general misconceptions or predetermined notions that dominate the term.

Conclusion and Overall Assessment

Ultimately, Urmetzer's argument is systematic, straightforward, and broad-based in its study of globalization — as both a term and a process — and its consequences for Canada. By evaluating the historical development and contested meaning of globalization, Urmetzer is able to arrive at a working definition. He then uses statistical evidence to determine how Canada's economic history relates to what globalization is, and what it is not. His argument is particularly strong in addressing all aspects of globalization rather than focusing on just one dimension. He does not limit himself to manufacturing or the welfare state; he covers all the areas that globalization plausibly touches. His conclusion is straightforward and supported by his argument, which is proved through linear and methodical means. His final conclusion is that there is no reason to believe "trade has a negative impact on national sovereignty" (Urmetzer 2005: 194). After reading Globalization Unplugged, one is inclined to accept his argument, at least in the case of Canada. The historical perspective he brings to globalization is particularly impressive, as Canada's rise in global trade, while apparently dramatic in recent decades, "looks much less impressive when the time span is lengthened to include the past 133 years" (Urmetzer 2005: 194). Urmetzer thinks outside the box, and this contributes to the validity of the work.

Globalization Unplugged is thus a strong work, and its final conclusion is testament to that strength. While the book originally appears to address the nation-state in general and the phenomenon of globalization broadly, it becomes evident that Canada is a unique case. Because of its historical relationship to Confederation and then to the United States, and because of its particular levels of manufacturing and its diverse trading partners, Canada cannot be straightforwardly compared to other nation-states. Urmetzer recognizes this limitation. At the end of the work, he maintains that globalization has led Canadians to believe that the wages earned in Taiwan, for example, directly cause Canadian economic problems. Throughout Globalization Unplugged, Urmetzer has debunked this "myth" and argues that Canada's problems are part of "the political process that still primarily takes place within the borders of this country" (Urmetzer 2005: 204). He does not overstep by speculating about exactly which political processes he is referring to; he simply concludes that Canada must look within its own borders to find solutions to its problems. The catch-all term "globalization" is not, and cannot be, the source of Canada's difficulties. It is a fitting conclusion that Urmetzer recommends Canada simply "make progress towards solving" its own issues (Urmetzer 2005: 204). Although he does not successfully prove that those issues can be solved domestically, he does demonstrate in numerous ways that they cannot be blamed on globalization. In fact, at its core, globalization is a process hundreds of years old. By placing his recommendations in proper historical perspective, Urmetzer's work achieves even greater strength, and its implications are more critical than they might first appear. The gap between the sovereignty a nation-state believes it possesses and what it actually possesses goes a long way toward determining how it will govern itself — a connection that Urmetzer's logical conclusion makes highly relevant.

Urmetzer's thesis is sufficiently proved in Globalization Unplugged. Where the statistical evidence is thin, he compensates with careful reasoning and fresh insight. It would take a detailed empirical study to dissuade a reader of the book's merits. While Urmetzer does take some liberties in correlating his evidence to his findings, his argument is logical, methodical, and grounded in careful research and analysis. He also discusses the purpose, methods, results, and implications of his work with care and clarity, all of which contribute to the overall strength of Globalization Unplugged: Sovereignty and the Canadian State in the Twenty-First Century. A fresh look at Canada's unique place in the global capitalist market, Urmetzer succeeds in bringing truth to Canadian misconceptions about the ills of globalization.

Reference

Urmetzer, Peter. Globalization Unplugged: Sovereignty and the Canadian State in the Twenty-First Century. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.