Snap the Whip, Save a Nickel

    After watching the Thomas Friedman investigation on Globalization, I as an American am fearful of over Americanization. American hegemony has caused much problem in the world, and although there is many great things that come out of the way Americans live their lives, to force it on any other sect of people is a bit too much. The idea of globalization is a fairly modern one, and as technology becomes even more and more advanced, the world we live in becomes smaller and smaller. Technology has really been the catalyst for globalization, which has been brought to face by the computer, now allowing people to be anywhere and getting work done looking into a computer screen.

    The use of the term globalization is a bit of a loaded idea to me, as it seems that we as Americans are not adapting to the world that everyone else lives in, but instead the rest of the world is transforming their way of living to the American standard. It is a race for American jobs, and corporate America is winning on all sides. When we globalize, jobs cuts are made here in the US so that someone across the world can put some money in their pockets. Although I am a believer that everyone deserves an opportunity, I am a bit skeptical about pulling so much money out of the US. Globalization creates more profit margin for large corporations, by cutting back on labor corporate America can stuff more cash in their pockets, without breaking US law.

    US Corporations are able to flex their muscles against US labor workers and workers abroad, both of whom end up losing in this situation. Granted a job is a job, but what good is a job when you are taking it away from someone else, getting paid less, and treated poorly. Sure it puts food on the table for a family, but on the opposite side it takes more food off the table of an American laborer. The problem with this is that less money is being recycled into the American economy, and if money is going elsewhere, then it is not being spent here in America, which adds to the reasons of why we are having problems with our economy and we are in a recession.

All in all I agree that globalization is a step in the right direction, but I am scared to see the outcome of this turn of events. The McDonaldization of the world could be a scary, scary world, even though it would come with fries and a drink. What we need to do as consumers is to be aware of how our corporations are treating their employees, and whether or not the disparity in quality is worth it. Is the job being done just as well? And for cheaper? Are the savings being passed down the chain to the consumers, or is money being poured into the pockets of the ultra rich? Either way, I thought this discussion was eminent and useful in today’s world and thought that I would drop my thoughts on the subject…