The nature of globalization lies in the fact not everyone can be pleased. I guess that's just how the way works. As it is said in economics: "There is no such thing as a free lunch". It is sad when you think about but in reality, it is really true.
There are going to be winners and losers after all. The best that we can do is to reduce its negative effects and to provide more balance but achieving a 100% win-win situation is very difficult and this is so for many reasons. First off, resources in this planet are not infinite and not all of them are sustainable or renewable. With that, people fight to have a share in this limited resources and now the problem lies in how to allocate these accordingly. Then, you have the problem of limitless human wants and desires. We demand more but we are supplied less and thus, the constraints start to appear. Indeed, the wheels of globalization are spinning.
This analogy can be applied to the automotive industry. You initially have the Americans and Europeans who introduced this whole concept of the automobile. Then, later on, the Japanese started entering and their products were crappy at that time but they kept improving. Now, they are dominating the world and Toyota is leading the pack as of the moment. Unfortunately, there will come a time when Toyota will be dethroned by someone else. Right now, Volkswagen group and Hyundai-Kia group are now at each other to fight for the top spot. With that, let's also not forget about the Chinese auto brands. Right now though, their vehicles are shit in quality and they blatantly copy from other manufacturers. HOWEVER, there will come a time when they will improve and when they've reached that level, they will become something that even the established brands would dare to not underestimate. Indeed, the wheels of globalization are moving once again.
Indeed, we are living in a world that is constantly and rapidly changing. Globalization involves rapid changes and affects many different things. We do have to admit that it is not perfect though because we made this system out of circumstances and conditions that are prevalent in societies today. Ultimately, the roles and responsibilities lie within ourselves. It should be that people should be aware that the structures and systems in place are not perfect and will not please everyone because we, as the ones who created these systems and mechanisms, are not perfect beings. Hence, what we can do now is to make sure that we improve the system and help out in making it work for us better.
It is now our job to make it better so that it can work best with changing conditions and needs of people.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
GLOBDEV Entry # 6
The world is a dangerous place. No one is safe (as we all thought otherwise). The Americans believed that Al-Qaeda wasn't a real threat.........even after their embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were blown to pieces by this militant extremist group. It was only after 9/11 that the world took them seriously and would send shockwaves to the world that they are the world's most dangerous terrorist organization. They have stricken anywhere at anytime. They've done damage in America, UK, Spain, Germany, Indonesia and elsewhere. They've even proposed doing a 9/11 style attack on Singapore airport. With that, there is no limitation to where and when Al-Qaeda can strike. Their main goal is to destroy institutions, structures and property as well as to kill people just to send their message and accomplish their goals............but also because they want to strike fear.
Hence, because of that, since terrorism strikes globally, therefore fighting terrorism requires a global and cooperative approach. This involves sharing of intelligence as well as cooperation in exchange and sharing of information as well as joint training and exercises of police, military and counter-terrorism units of different countries and territories.
The point here is this: Terrorism has become global and as such, our efforts to fight it need to be made on a global scale as well.
GLOBDEV Entry # 5
Okay, we talk about the media. We are no stranger to the media. It provides us news and information (especially with regards to current events and issues and happenings here and around the world). In fact, it has become a primary source of information. Yet, it seems that we at times forget that we become so blinded by what the media says wherein we simply believe it as pure fact yet failing to realize if there is something else that is going on as well. For instance, take a look at what you see or hear in the news and you can just imagine the power and influence of mass media. They often showcase things about war, violence and terrorism and while yes these are real threats, it just goes to show how news is being presented and broadcasted. News headlines such as those give you viewership ratings and sales.....and all else don't.
Furthermore, we've seen how news agencies tend to have a biases and hidden agendas at times. CNN tends to be pro-Democrat while FOX News is a bit more conservative and more leaning to Republican. BBC has had controversies in itself such as when Asian religious groups made allegations against BBC that it presented religious-related news that was leaning more to being Pro-Muslim. In short, nothing in media should ever be considered as 100% absolute truth and yet because we become so attached to depending on these forms of media, then we become more reliant on them and there we do not dare to question integrity or credibility anymore.
This case is worse in places where media is in extreme control by government. This is apparently the case in Mainland China. You can bet that state-owned media agencies will never report anything that is negative about Mainland China. In short, if there is news about protests against CCP and Chinese government or what not, then you can bet that it will never appear on television sets over there........because government controls the news.
There is also indirect control and influence as well. This is a case in point for two of the leading TV media and news outlets in Hong Kong (namely TVB and ATV). In 2008 during the 20th anniversary of the Tiannanmen Square massacre, the televised coverage was limited and many people were outraged by this. The reason lies in that media in Hong Kong operates within the territory and is not under the jurisdiction or control of Mainland China. However, it appears that the media companies wanted to gain more foothold in Mainland China and as such wanted to appease Mainland Chinese censors......so the news coverage was limited.
This sent thousands of protesters to the streets to protest against this. Eventually, this behavior has ceased nowadays (most especially when HK news agencies televised coverage of the awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo who is an activist for democracy and China (and CCP does not like that).
Well, the point here is that media is controlled and has the power to control and likewise, media is influenced and that's why it is capable of influencing people. We as people and recipients of information from media need to be aware of the true nature of the news and information that we see and hear and does exercise our agency to act and to be responsible for what we see and perceive as 'truth'
Furthermore, we've seen how news agencies tend to have a biases and hidden agendas at times. CNN tends to be pro-Democrat while FOX News is a bit more conservative and more leaning to Republican. BBC has had controversies in itself such as when Asian religious groups made allegations against BBC that it presented religious-related news that was leaning more to being Pro-Muslim. In short, nothing in media should ever be considered as 100% absolute truth and yet because we become so attached to depending on these forms of media, then we become more reliant on them and there we do not dare to question integrity or credibility anymore.
This case is worse in places where media is in extreme control by government. This is apparently the case in Mainland China. You can bet that state-owned media agencies will never report anything that is negative about Mainland China. In short, if there is news about protests against CCP and Chinese government or what not, then you can bet that it will never appear on television sets over there........because government controls the news.
There is also indirect control and influence as well. This is a case in point for two of the leading TV media and news outlets in Hong Kong (namely TVB and ATV). In 2008 during the 20th anniversary of the Tiannanmen Square massacre, the televised coverage was limited and many people were outraged by this. The reason lies in that media in Hong Kong operates within the territory and is not under the jurisdiction or control of Mainland China. However, it appears that the media companies wanted to gain more foothold in Mainland China and as such wanted to appease Mainland Chinese censors......so the news coverage was limited.
This sent thousands of protesters to the streets to protest against this. Eventually, this behavior has ceased nowadays (most especially when HK news agencies televised coverage of the awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo who is an activist for democracy and China (and CCP does not like that).
Well, the point here is that media is controlled and has the power to control and likewise, media is influenced and that's why it is capable of influencing people. We as people and recipients of information from media need to be aware of the true nature of the news and information that we see and hear and does exercise our agency to act and to be responsible for what we see and perceive as 'truth'
GLOBDEV Entry # 4
We now move on to institutions. Yes, these institutions exist in our world today and they seem to be a part or at least have an influence in global affairs. Yes, institutions like the United Nations, ASEAN, NATO, European Union, OECD, GCC and so on are institutions that go beyond a single country or territory and are a part of something greater.
The opinion of the general populace regarding these supra-national and international organizations and institutions remains varied. There are those who like them as they see that it leads to more international cooperation and mutual understanding while there are those who are against them stating that these organizations and institutions often supersede or go beyond constitutional boundaries and territorial jurisdictions.
Well personally, I'm cool with them being here so I say, I'm really fine with what they do. I believe that they are doing something and that the aim of these organizations and institutions is for the greater good. I personally see no harm in them. Still, if people see otherwise, then that's fine by me. As for me though, I am welcome to whatever actions and initiatives that they are doing or wish to do..........all for the sake of the greater good (and seriously, who doesn't want such, right?)
The opinion of the general populace regarding these supra-national and international organizations and institutions remains varied. There are those who like them as they see that it leads to more international cooperation and mutual understanding while there are those who are against them stating that these organizations and institutions often supersede or go beyond constitutional boundaries and territorial jurisdictions.
Well personally, I'm cool with them being here so I say, I'm really fine with what they do. I believe that they are doing something and that the aim of these organizations and institutions is for the greater good. I personally see no harm in them. Still, if people see otherwise, then that's fine by me. As for me though, I am welcome to whatever actions and initiatives that they are doing or wish to do..........all for the sake of the greater good (and seriously, who doesn't want such, right?)
GLOBDEV Entry # 3
We discussed about illegal immigration and personally, I believe that there is no justification to support this type of illegal activity. It not only causes problems for the countries but it also is a source of or that it complements other crimes (such as prostitution, surrogacy, illegal organ trade, smuggling, etc.).
In fact, every time I see the TV Program called "Border Patrol" on National Geographic, I really learn and explore of the dangerous missions and operations that agents and employees of the US Customs and Border Protection handle every single day. Their efforts ensures that illegal immigration is kept to a minimum and that those who are caught will not be tolerated. In my humble opinion, the people of the US CBP are ordinary everyday heroes and damn those who criticize all the efforts that they have been doing.
The argument is simple. The illegal immigrant is a hassle to any territory. They cannot be officially represented because they don't have proper documentation and they have entered illegally which means they cannot be accounted for properly when in a said territory. Furthermore, it costs a territory more than what it can ever gain. In short, these illegal immigrants are less of a valuable asset and more of a painful liability. In my opinion, they want to escape their home country to seek a better life in a foreign land and yet they can't do it properly or respect the rule of law over there.
My point is simple and thus, I have a message to any immigrants who wish to enter through illegal means: Think twice before they bust your ass.
And that's all there is to it.......
GLOBDEV Entry #2
We look at what we learned regarding push-and-pull factors. It makes sense given the globalized economic environment and capitalist systems in place. The principle behind this is simple: Many workers in certain developing countries are being "pushed" out of their own territories or rather they are pushing themselves out of their countries due to a lack of opportunities or employee benefits while some developed countries are 'pulling' those aforementioned workers and laborers in because there is a lack of manpower to fill-in for these jobs.
In fact, such behavior is quite apparent and can be easily observed. Heck, I personally observed this myself. During my trip to Singapore, I was quite puzzled as to why there quite a number of Indians and South Asians working as blue-collar workers there. Aside from that, the Singapore Police Force has a Gurkha contingent where its officers and members originate from Nepal. In Hong Kong, I noticed one or two guards who were South Asian. In Taiwan, they've started hiring a few construction workers from Thailand (to work on train stations in Kaoshiung). Additionally, there is Macau. It appears that all the casinos have hired all possible workers originating from Macau and a few from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in Mainland China. With that said, they have started hiring workers from South East Asia and it is no surprise that you will see many Filipinos working there (such as in Venetian Macau where 1/5th of the employees there are Filipino). Heck, if you look at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, more than 90% of construction workers are from South Asia (from places such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.). It probably is because they really need the cheapest labor costs possible or that there are just not many construction workers of Middle East origin.
So with that said: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it depends on your perception and point-of-view. I do admit at first that I found it puzzling as I questioned as to why these countries and territories need to hire foreign workers. Yet later on, as I learned more about economic and labor systems, I started to realize as to why it is like that. So yes, now I understand.
In fact, such behavior is quite apparent and can be easily observed. Heck, I personally observed this myself. During my trip to Singapore, I was quite puzzled as to why there quite a number of Indians and South Asians working as blue-collar workers there. Aside from that, the Singapore Police Force has a Gurkha contingent where its officers and members originate from Nepal. In Hong Kong, I noticed one or two guards who were South Asian. In Taiwan, they've started hiring a few construction workers from Thailand (to work on train stations in Kaoshiung). Additionally, there is Macau. It appears that all the casinos have hired all possible workers originating from Macau and a few from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in Mainland China. With that said, they have started hiring workers from South East Asia and it is no surprise that you will see many Filipinos working there (such as in Venetian Macau where 1/5th of the employees there are Filipino). Heck, if you look at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, more than 90% of construction workers are from South Asia (from places such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.). It probably is because they really need the cheapest labor costs possible or that there are just not many construction workers of Middle East origin.
So with that said: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it depends on your perception and point-of-view. I do admit at first that I found it puzzling as I questioned as to why these countries and territories need to hire foreign workers. Yet later on, as I learned more about economic and labor systems, I started to realize as to why it is like that. So yes, now I understand.
GLOBDEV Entry #1
We're taking Globalization and development so let me just air my initial thoughts about it first. First off, we believe that globalization is a phenomenon that is occurring even as we speak. It has affected how we relate and interact with other countries and territories in many different aspects (more specifically in economic, social and political aspects). The aim is that globalization aims to integrate more and more countries and territories to open up and interact more in the pursuit of free trade and free enterprise and to eliminate barriers and anything that hinders this interaction and integration. On the one hand, we also have development. Now often, progress and development often go hand-in-hand. The essence is that people want to improve their lives and basically their situation because as human beings, people want to seek for more. It's human nature after all. It simply lies in the desire to seek for betterment and achieve more, become more and gain more because possibilities in life are as endless as we can possible ever think or conceive of. As part of the initial entry, the aim is to just give a breather on what I would soon learn or discover even more regarding this. The truth is, globalization is good. Yet unfortunately, there are bad sides to it (such as the inability for countries and territories to compete in the global arena, protectionist policies, etc.). This is even more evident given the dominance of the capitalist economic systems in place. Who stands to benefit the most and who has to lose the most as a result of giving in to those who dominate?
In addition to that. We want to look at the effects of globalization even in Philippine context. As such, it does raise a lot of questions as well. Is globalization a good thing or a bad thing for the Philippines? Who is affected? How are they affected? How has it influenced or shaped the local economic landscape? Why is it needed? If not, why is it being detrimental to our ability to develop further? Take a look at our situation for example. For instance, one of our biggest exports right now is human labor. Yes, we are probably known for sending overseas workers to other countries and territories so yes, human capital is one of our primary economic resources. It is good and all and there are benefits......but at what cost? The social implications are evident and it just shows that we continue to rely on overseas laborers to make for any of our economic shortfalls. We also look into other things like exports of our products as well as the challenges these face overseas (especially with those that still implement protectionist policies to protect their own business and resources).
This is important because globalization affects us all (be it directly or indirectly). It affects the way we stand in the global arena and it even shows us as to how we are doing as we seek for development and progress. This is really important for us to understand the systems that are in place as well as the structures and institutions that revolve and influence these because of the fact that the more we understand these, then the more we can utilize this to our advantage and does we would be able to benefit more from it (as well as understanding the negative implications it has so we can avoid those).
Ultimately, we want to achieve a win-win situation as much as possible and I bet that is what every single person on this planet can agree upon
In addition to that. We want to look at the effects of globalization even in Philippine context. As such, it does raise a lot of questions as well. Is globalization a good thing or a bad thing for the Philippines? Who is affected? How are they affected? How has it influenced or shaped the local economic landscape? Why is it needed? If not, why is it being detrimental to our ability to develop further? Take a look at our situation for example. For instance, one of our biggest exports right now is human labor. Yes, we are probably known for sending overseas workers to other countries and territories so yes, human capital is one of our primary economic resources. It is good and all and there are benefits......but at what cost? The social implications are evident and it just shows that we continue to rely on overseas laborers to make for any of our economic shortfalls. We also look into other things like exports of our products as well as the challenges these face overseas (especially with those that still implement protectionist policies to protect their own business and resources).
This is important because globalization affects us all (be it directly or indirectly). It affects the way we stand in the global arena and it even shows us as to how we are doing as we seek for development and progress. This is really important for us to understand the systems that are in place as well as the structures and institutions that revolve and influence these because of the fact that the more we understand these, then the more we can utilize this to our advantage and does we would be able to benefit more from it (as well as understanding the negative implications it has so we can avoid those).
Ultimately, we want to achieve a win-win situation as much as possible and I bet that is what every single person on this planet can agree upon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)