Globalization for the rest of us...

[Solon]

This is actually something that has been brewing for a while now, a couple of ideas that have been tickling my modes of thought about various issues that seem to bear fruit in surprising ways.

Now, it may seem like a shock to many, but I'll give it to you straight, there is only a few organizations that actually have control of our lives in the most basic of ways, all 6 billion plus of us. They can determine whether we live or die, whether we can find work, and what governments we are allowed, or not allowed, to have. I'll concentrate on the most prominent and infamous of these groups, along with the most influencial in the world, the World Trade Organization. Now, if you want a good primer of sorts on the WTO, look here:

http://www.focusweb.org/

On the bottom right corner is a link to a streaming video about the WTO, also, you can download the VCD(Video CD) version of the video, its in a *.dat format, but will play on computers using you favorite media player. Now, onto the meat of what I'm talking about, many charge that the anti-globalization movement are a bunch of isolationists or protectionists, this couldn't be further from the truth. For while some in the movement are precisely that, others, quite a few others, recognize that Globalization, as an ideal to strive for, would be a good thing if the second half of economical growth and sustainability wasn't ignored. See, that's the problem, for while the WTO hammers out trade policies that affect every single human on the planet, we do not have a voice as to HOW that policy is implemented. Its not a transparent process, its a process where the Rich impose their will onto the Poor, where transnational for-profit corporations are able to write the laws that benefit themselves, making them more powerful than any Democratic institution that the majority has control of.


We, the people of the world, the workers of the world, have been largely ignored when bi-lateral or multi-lateral treaties like NAFTA were passed. When organizations like the IMF were first implemented, they were to be largely charities, promising low interest loans to poor nations so they could build up their OWN economies. Since then, they have been siezed by businessmen from First World nations, adding conditions, such as no protections for laborers, onto these loans, forcing nations to abandon good, sustainable economics, so that Multi-Nationals can turn what they have for an economy into a factory room floor for products exclusively marked for export, hampering growth in those economies. This has been happening for decades, and now, with the effects being shown the world over, we are seeing the "fruits" of such policies, and those that are aware of them, are horrified.

However, relatively recently, those who have seen the effects of these policies first hand were moved to action, for their very survival in many cases. Aided by networking with others through the Internet, and using the tried and true methods of Ghandi and MLK Jr., peaceful demonstrations were the rule of the day. Now, the authorities in many nations, being at the beck and call of the Oligarchs of their and other nations, responded, in many cases, with violence, this isn't surprising, historically, they have done so. Look up Homestead, Pennsylvania.

In fact, I'll do one better, the WTO protests in Seattle in 1998 could probably be considered the hallmark of when the movement began to get into stride, if you are curious as to what happened, here is a 5 part series on it, choose your appropriate format for the video, about a half hour for each installment.

http://www.archive.org/details/ddtv_186_a_showdown_in_seattle
http://www.archive.org/details/ddtv_186_b_showdown_in_seattle
http://www.archive.org/details/ddtv_186_c_d_showdown_in_seattle
http://www.archive.org/details/ddtv_186_d_showdown_in_seattle
http://www.archive.org/details/ddtv_186_e_showdown_in_seattle

A more recent movie, about what happened at the FTAA Miami Protests:

http://www.archive.org/details/miamimodel

Now, this isn't the only reaction to this "Top Down" Globalization that has taken place, its a more direct action, involving boycotts and other methods of direct confrontation, mostly non violent. But another reaction has taken place, especially in South America, mostly in reaction to the effects of bi-lateral treaties with the United States. This reaction is more political in nature, with new leaders being elected in many South American countries, and the slander that has been leveled against them. If you want to view it, here is but one Documentary that is free for distribution, that you can see:

http://www.archive.org/details/Venezuela_Bolivariana_VEN_2004

This is a complicated movement, and a far reaching one as well, so many disparate organizations are involved, from Greenpeace to the UAW and the United Steel Workers Unions, that its hard to even quantify it. That is probably the biggest strength and weakness in the movement is its very diversity. Indigenous rights groups along with small business owners are banded together to oppose a policy that is bad for ALL people who are not of the top 10 percent of the world's population in riches. The most surprising thing is that this disparate group, from many nations, many languages, many races, and many walks of life, hasn't fallen apart yet. Better yet, they have actually been effective in what was the first singular goal of the movement, disrupting the activities of the WTO. The Seattle conference was a failure because of the people on the streets protesting, the first major concession of any direct action since probably the Vietnam war protests.

Now, it doesn't just end there, the US backed FTAA has yet to be signed, and that could be thanks to the amount of opposition, both in the streets, and among elected officials in all nations affected by the treaty. The point being that we have made a difference, but even then, it is but a small step, and while treaties like the FTAA have been all but defeated, we shouldn't sit on our laurels and think we are finished with the struggle. With the push for the privatization of the Commons, water, land, hell, even air, the battle is shifting in our favor, but is also getting even precarious. How many of us would be willing to pay an American dollar or more for eacy gallon of water that we use to consume or use for washing?

I say we take this war of words to them, they call us obstructionists and isolationists, even luddites and backwards, I say we call them elitists and assholes. No, what we need is a comprehensive ALTERNATIVE to THEIR version of Globalization. There's isn't the only Model that can be used for Globalization, one where lack of transparency or even democratic oversight is lacking. We have a relatively, if somewhat young and growing, with the pains associated with it, free trade bloc that is already present, the European Union. Now, I'm not saying that that model is to be copied wholesale for the rest of the world to emulate, but its a good framework to adapt to specific regional areas of the world, and improve upon to, especially in regards to democratic control, integration, and transparency.

This is already happening in other regions of the world, the African Union is one example, established in 2002. Though they may not be the best example, being the progenators of the "Dictator's Club".
You can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union
Another example would be the future South American Community of Nations, to be established next year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_American_Community_of_Nations

So, let's concentrate on the simularities and what improvements that such organizations represent, this includes the EU, BTW. Well, they all have stated goals, or already implemented, common currency, in addition to free movement of peoples within member states and a common legislature. One issue is common defense, the African Union already has a common defense force, its small, but growing, whereas the EU has a negligable one, and the CSN has yet to form, though representatives from all South American nations signed onto a declaration of intent in 2004. These regional blocs, if properly governed through democratic action, could counteract the actions of groups like the WTO or the IMF. The problems associated with them are not to be underestimated, look at the growing pains of all of them and see how to minimize those for ourselves. If we, as a nation, are to participate in such free trade on our own continent, perhaps we should look elsewhere other than the boardroom for inspiration.

Having a free movement of people isn't the only thing that is involved in these types of structures, having the same currency ensures stability and future equalization of standards of living, in addition to that, no matter where you live, whether its Mexico City, Los Angeles, or Ontario, you would be ensured the same basic labor and civil rights as anyone else within such a Union. But that is only if we are brave enough to get rid of NAFTA, if free trade is going to happen, let's do it right for once.