I've mentioned to most of my friends the inevitability and desirability of globalization, with a few caveats of course, that I've come to accept from my reading of Joseph Stiglitz's Globalization and its discontents.
Indiatogether.org, a wonderful web-magazine that deserves a dedicated blog entry from me in near future, has published an interesting article today with a pro-globalization message. I disagree with a few sentences here and there, esp. on the desirability of genetically modified crops (see related article) but on the over all, it's an important article to read.
Let's discuss it!
Posted by prasad at July 6, 2004 07:13 PMI have not read the Stiglitz's book. I read the article by Madhu kishwar.
Madhu kiswhar is one of the rare voices that is unafraid of expressing unfashionable ideas. For example, she argued for dowry (which she views as a female inheritence) in 1986. Mine is simplistic summation, but she makes a credible argument that talks about property and women.
Coming to Globalization article -- I am not sure what her thesis is. I understand and concur with her on the hypocricy of the west about the farm subsidies. I too wish others would understand the globalization issues without sentimental goggles. I was hoping she would explain why the globalization is opposed. I can see some reasons:
1. Unsettling changes -- threat to established forces.
2. People who are left behind -- imagine a fifty year old bank clerk and how he can profit from G18N.
3. Produces only long term benefits. In the short term, several people suffer.
I am sure there are several. I wish this article at least speculated on those.
I also would like to see statistics on what the cost of production is. That is, if India is truly open with farm imports and exports what would happen? I am not sure. I read that thais produce rice cheaper than us. Vietnam produces shrimp cheaper than us. So, how do we adjust to the new reality?
There are several aspects to G18N which is outside the scope of this article, hence this comment. For example, rice is not rice everywhere. There are issues like usage of non-renewable resources, human rights etc. All that some other time.
Posted by: Ramarao Kanneganti at July 9, 2004 09:42 AM