Chapter 32 Globalization is a "double-edged sword"

We've talked about globalization a number of times and would love to know your thoughts on globalization.If possible, please expand the discussion, please? The first is economic globalization. As far as I know, there are currently four popular viewpoints.The first is the so-called "liberals", who believe that economic globalization is the inevitable result of capital expansion. Therefore, the essence of economic globalization is capitalism, and it can even be said to be Americanization. Victory sign.The second is the so-called "neo-Marxist" viewpoint or the "Left" viewpoint. They also believe that economic globalization is capitalization and Americanization, so it is essentially economic colonialism and a new stage of imperialist development. Resolutely criticize and oppose.The third is the skeptics, who believe that history has not revealed the fact of so-called globalization, but at best has seen a high level of internationalization, that is, economic interaction between countries. Economic globalization is a myth of some theorists.The fourth type is the "reformists", who believe that globalization is the central force driving rapid social, economic and political changes in the 21st century. These changes are reshaping the contemporary world, but what the future holds, we have to wait and see what happens and see further changes.In my opinion, in order to accurately reveal the essence of economic globalization, we must first accurately grasp the phenomenon of economic globalization.Phenomena are the gateway to understanding the essence.Facts first, concepts second.Concepts cannot arise when facts are absent or not fully revealed.

On February 3, 1999, Fidel Castro, President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, lashed out at globalization in a speech at the Central University of Venezuela.He believes that globalization "is the product of historical development and the result of human civilization" and "is an irreversible process".However, it cannot be sustained, it cannot exist for a long time, it can only last for decades.Its "transitional" form is unlikely "through a widespread violent revolution or a large-scale war", but it is likely "through a deep and catastrophic crisis".In his view, "this is most likely, almost inevitably, going to happen through very different paths and struggles". On April 12, 2000, the South Summit opened in Havana, the capital of Cuba. At the opening ceremony, Castro attacked globalization with sharper language.He said: "Globalization is an objective reality that shows that we are all passengers in the same boat on this planet we all live in. However, the conditions for passengers to travel are extremely unequal. A small number of passengers live in luxurious cabins. , with Internet, mobile phones and devices with access to the global communication network; they have abundant and nutritionally balanced food, clean water to drink, advanced medical care, and access to education. The vast majority of passengers who suffer travel in conditions similar to colonial times The appalling conditions of travel across the Great Army to transport African slaves to the Americas. Overcrowded in unsanitary cabins for 85% of the passengers on this ship, they were starving, sick, and hopeless. Clearly, too much injustice aboard this ship Too much, it is difficult to float on the water. Its voyage is so unreasonable and absurd, that it is impossible to reach a safe port. It seems that fate has destined the ship to hit a floating iceberg, and then everyone will drown death. The heads of government present here today represent the overwhelming majority of the people who are suffering. We have the right and more duty to take the helm and correct the course towards disaster. We have the duty to occupy our place on the commanding platform of this ship, Obliged to make all passengers sail together under conditions of solidarity, equality and justice." Of course, Castro is not alone in his anti-globalization.According to statistics, in 1999 alone, 20 million people took to the streets around the world to vent their anger against globalization in various forms.

Castro's point of view did not make it clear why globalization is "an irreversible process", but interpreted it as that everyone is on the global boat, and human beings have been on the same boat since birth, and since ancient times there have been various The cabin!He is essentially a second opinion.My view is the fifth view.First, globalization is an irreversible and irresistible historical process; second, globalization belongs to socialism and will surely lead to the victory of socialism in the world.A global market, a global company, and a globalized information network are the three "significant facts" of economic globalization.What else?There is also the development of "regional economic integration" and the role of world economic organizations, such as the World Monetary Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank, etc. These are also striking features of economic globalization.It is these "significant facts" and these striking features that have determined that economic globalization has become a new thing and concept after the 1980s.Starting at that time, economic globalization started its own development process and has become a hot topic in the global economy.

Here, I would like to emphasize the epoch-making significance of the birth of a global company (global enterprise).Enterprises are the cells of the industrial society of socialized mass production and the modern economy, and their vitality determines the vitality of the society and the competitiveness of the economy.Modern enterprises always start from regional enterprises. With the advancement of socialized mass production, regional enterprises develop into national enterprises, international enterprises, and then multinational enterprises. In the new wave of large-scale mergers and acquisitions in the 1980s, some multinational companies developed into global companies, and some companies developed into global companies in fierce competition despite no mergers and acquisitions.The basic characteristics of a global enterprise are as follows:

(1) The effective allocation of production factors on a global scale, including capital, management, technology, production, labor force, marketing network and its services, etc., where the cost is the lowest and the efficiency is the highest, so that resources can be used most effectively , the most efficient organization of productivity, with the greatest competitiveness. (2) Enterprise ownership is allocated globally through the stock market.That is to say, the owners of enterprises are highly dispersed around the world, there are no controlling groups and individuals, and there are no fixed owners who change day and night through stock market transactions.It can be said that global enterprise ownership is a new type of public ownership—globalized social ownership.

(3) The management and senior management personnel of the enterprise are also deployed globally, transcending the restrictions of the country, nationality, ideology, etc., so as to lead the group to the best combination. (4) Global enterprises adapt to the development of modern science and technology, so that enterprises can be fully technologically transformed and become a technological industry with the largest primary productive capacity.The network and electronic huts transmit all kinds of corporate information, and have also completely reformed the way employees work and manage. It can be seen that global enterprises have become the new and most advanced mode of production for human beings.The advanced mode of production is irresistible, opening up a new broad prospect of economic development and human social progress.

Therefore, my point of view is: economic globalization is the inevitable development of socialized mass production and the economic foundation of the new society in the future. The "economic kingdom" requires lasting peace and opposes all regional barriers and conflicts, so it is also the economic basis for world peace and world harmony.It goes without saying that it is a severe challenge to both developing countries and developed countries. The best response to economic globalization is global friendly cooperation, common development, win-win sharing and common progress.This is the only way out, the inevitable way out.

It should be emphasized that socialized large-scale production is a characteristic of industrial society. Although it once accompanied capitalism, it does not reflect the essence of the capitalist system.The socialist economy is also based on socialized mass production. Economic globalization is inevitable for the development of socialized mass production, and it is a new height and new stage for the development of socialized mass production. The most effective allocation of various resources and social production factors on a global scale represents the most advanced development of human society so far. The mode of production, the most advanced productivity, will become the economic basis for world peace, world harmony and the new society of mankind in the future.This new society is a scientific society that replaces the industrial society, and this new society corresponding to it is socialism in the true and complete sense!Economic globalization is inevitable for the development of human society, it is an objective economic law, and it is a great historical trend that does not change with people's will.Marxism has proved that socialism is also an inevitable development of human society, an objective economic law, and a great historical trend that does not change with people's will.Now, these two historical trends are irresistibly converging in the 21st century!What a great 21st century!Therefore, the great historical trend of economic globalization is a rare opportunity for all countries, but they are also facing the most severe challenge.

Some developed countries sing about economic globalization, thinking of opportunities that will help them lead to greater prosperity.The economic globalization in their minds is only "trade liberalization" and "financial liberalization" that can show their advantages, but they do not see the increasingly severe challenges to them.Some of these challenges are imminent, and some are gravely latent.Not to mention that economic globalization also includes favorable factors for developing countries: "technology liberalization", "labour liberalization", "management liberalization" and other comprehensive liberalization of production factors, let's say that developing countries and developed countries If the "North-South gap" between China and the United States cannot be resolved in a timely and effective manner, what will it mean for the developed countries?

First, poor developing countries will be unable to purchase products from developed countries, shrinking the global market. What is the real meaning of "trade liberalization"?Poor countries always bring about serious social conflicts and turmoil, thus deteriorating the investment environment. What is the real meaning of "financial liberalization"?If developing countries, which account for more than two-thirds of the population, cannot participate, what economic globalization is there?In this way, in turn, it will restrict the economic development of developed countries and trigger a global economic crisis.In the global economic crisis, developed countries are not only not immune, but even if they do not bear the brunt, they will inevitably suffer huge losses.

Second, the growing "North-South gap" means that the historical antagonism between colonies and colonialism will reappear in new forms.In the context of economic globalization, turmoil in a poor country will cause turmoil in surrounding regions and even the world.More seriously, where there is oppression, there will be resistance, which is an iron law of history.The wave of poor developing countries opposing the developed countries led by the United States will inevitably rise one after another, class struggle will also move from domestic to global, and the era of peace and development will end, replaced by a new round of revolution on a global scale and war.Even if a new world is born in blood and fire, it will be an unprecedented disaster for mankind. In this sense, economic globalization is also a challenge to mankind, and all mankind should think deeply in front of this challenge. So, where is the way out? As the essence, there is only one solution, that is, no matter whether you are voluntary or opposed, conscious or blind, active or passive, active or passive, sooner or later, you will inevitably be involved in the wave of economic globalization.If you don’t take the initiative to actively participate as early as possible to jointly build and share the fruits of economic globalization, you may be marginalized, lag behind, and drown in the huge waves of globalization.In this sense, economic globalization is a sharp "one-sided sword".However, how to understand and apply this law, people must proceed from their own reality, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and each show his magical powers.In this sense, globalization is a very sharp "double-edged sword".With correct understanding and proper use, even negative pressure can be transformed into positive motivation.On the contrary, if you have a wrong understanding and improper use, even a positive effect will be messed up. Don't you think that "China's path of peaceful development" is just a way to make the best use of the situation and avoid disadvantages for economic globalization? Economically developed countries, especially the United States, take advantage of their historical advantages in capital, technology, management, and products to unilaterally emphasize financial liberalization and trade liberalization, and interpret economic globalization as financial liberalization and trade liberalization. Implement open or de facto unequal trade and control over economically and technologically backward developing countries in an attempt to turn globalization into capitalism, or even Americanization. In this sense, economic globalization has indeed been alienated into economic colonialism. As a self-defense confrontation, some developing countries have adopted an attitude of opposing and resisting economic globalization, thereby marginalizing themselves.This has led to polarization in the world today, with rich countries getting richer and poor countries getting poorer.From this point of view, the "double-edged sword" seems to be only for developing countries, but for economically developed countries it is "one-sided sword", a rare opportunity to make a fortune.actually not. The "double-edged sword" is universal, and it is also a "double-edged sword" for economically developed countries. First, economic globalization is changing the traditional concept of nation-state "sovereignty", which is the same for both developing and developed economies.The establishment of a series of international economic organizations means that the traditional "sovereignty" of the nation-state is weakening.If you join the WTO, you will end up with zero tariffs all over the world, and everyone's customs sovereignty is over. Second, multinational companies are developing into global companies, which is a challenge to the traditional "national industry".For developing countries, this kind of challenge means the bankruptcy of uncompetitive "national industries"; what does it mean for economically developed countries?The American Chrysler Motor Company merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz AG, two well-known multinational companies, each holding 50% of the shares, and became a global company. Is it still a "national industry" in the United States or Germany?Global corporations are actually independent economic kingdoms beyond national sovereignty. Third, due to the wrong understanding and application of economic globalization by economically developed countries, the gap between rich and poor countries has widened to an increasingly intolerable level.If this continues, what will the consequences look like?At least, the developing countries will become poorer, so they will not have the economic ability to purchase advanced technologies and products from developed countries, and the developed countries will lose their vast and potential markets. There is an economic crisis.The more serious situation is that if this trend is allowed to develop, it will inevitably lead to increasingly fierce class struggles on a global scale, and even develop into successive turmoil and wars, until the end of the world revolution. Fourth, economic globalization is accompanied by information economy, knowledge economy, network economy and new economy.Economically developed countries will have more and more intellectual elites, while ordinary workers in both production and service industries will inevitably rely more and more on human resources in developing countries.As a result, contradictions such as race, culture, and rich and poor within economically developed countries will become more and more intensified. There are indications that economically developed countries are not only facing the potential "double-edged sword" of economic globalization, but the problem of "the other side of the sword" is even more severe.Therefore, developing countries need to change their minds, and economically developed countries must also change their minds.All countries in the world must establish a new world economic order in the 21st century in accordance with the essential requirements of economic globalization.The essence of economic globalization requires the effective allocation of production factors on a global scale.Therefore, when we talk about liberalization, it should be a comprehensive two-way liberalization of production factors.Not only financial liberalization and trade liberalization, but also technology liberalization, labor liberalization and so on. Now when developed countries talk about economic globalization, they mainly strongly demand "financial liberalization" and "trade liberalization." This is at least a very one-sided understanding of economic globalization, and it is actually a selfish proposition that benefits the interests of developed countries. Due to historical reasons, developed countries are the powerful group in the world economy. From a moral point of view, they should pay more attention to helping the disadvantaged groups in the world economy——developing countries; More dynamic and larger world markets.At the same time, developing countries must continue to strive for self-improvement and become independent. Because the nature of economic globalization determines that it is an irresistible historical trend in the 21st century.The only way out for contemporary mankind is to comply with the essential requirements of economic globalization and establish a fair and reasonable new international economic order that will lead to win-win and common prosperity for the whole world.