Globalization Up or Down?

What happens when you sit down with 4 mid-career Harvard business grads (who just so happen to be from Argentina, China, Tanzania and Thailand) and two Harvard economists (one ‘pro-trade’ and the other ‘ambivalent’) and ask if their fellow citizens are for or against globalization? From the NewsHour:

NewsHour's Paul Solman: So first question: How would their fellow citizens vote if asked to give globalization a simple thumbs-up, thumbs-down?

Thailand Parliament Member Kriengsak Chareonwongsak : Fifteen percent on the pro, maybe 5 percent on the against, and the rest is a silent majority.

Paul Solman: Argentina?

World Bank Former Communications Officer Yanina Budkin: Sixty-five percent no, 35 percent yes.

Paul Solman: Tanzania?

Former Prime Minister of Tanzania Frederick Sumanye: Eighty-five percent no, 15 percent yes.

Paul Solman: China?

People's Bank of China Mingyou Bao: The majority of the Chinese people will say yes to this question. Globalization is a win-win for China and the rest of the world.

Paul Solman: For the last word, we turned to the professors. At the end of the day, what did free-trader Robert Lawrence hear? A common theme.

Harvard's Robert Lawrence: It was the need to somehow manage the process in some way. Nobody believes that it should just be unleashed and left without a very strong role for government in some way.

Paul Solman: What did the more skeptical Danny Roderick hear?

Harvard's Danny Roderick: Markets will not work on their own. You need all the institutions that regulate markets, that stabilize markets, that compensate to losers and provide the safety nets, without which markets can neither be legitimate or, for that matter, efficient, if you don't have the appropriate regulatory frameworks.

Paul Solman: You're from Turkey. What would the vote be in Turkey, pro-, anti-globalization?

Danny Roderick: Globalization's a dirty word, without any doubt, so I think we would get 60 percent of the people say that it's a bad thing.

Paul Solman: And you're from South Africa originally.

Robert Lawrence: And I think probably 70 percent against.

Paul Solman: And what do you think in America, if you just asked that question?

Danny Roderick: We know the answer. We take those polls all the time, and it's, again, between 55 percent and 60 percent.

Paul Solman: Against?

Danny Roderick: Against.

Paul Solman: Against globalization, the dirty word on so many people's tongues these days.

Watch the NewsHour's video of the discussion.

Comments

Post new comment

Your email address is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <blockquote>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options


Breaking News

First Major Utility Company Invests in Solar Energy

OneWorld Daily Headlines - Tue, 08/19/2008 - 10:28
For the first time, a big, American utility company is investing in large-scale solar energy. Pacific Gas & Electric has decided that solar is part of the answer for California's energy needs.

Cairo Tries to Get Ancient, Rattling Cabs Off the Streets

International Herald Tribune - Wed, 08/20/2008 - 04:21
In Seoul, the Hyundai Pony is a museum exhibit. In Egypt, the decades-old car can still be used as a taxi, so long as it doesn't fall into a canal.

In Israel, Kosher Extends Beyond the Kitchen

Christian Science Monitor - Tue, 08/19/2008 - 23:00
A kosher 'social seal' on nearly one-third of Jerusalem restaurants conveys ethical, not just dietary, standards.

In Vietnam, Even the Dead Feel the Pinch of Inflation

International Herald Tribune - Wed, 08/20/2008 - 06:15
Vietnam is suffering its first serious economic downturn since it moved from a command economy to an open market nearly two decades ago.

Mobilizing Against Hunger in Haiti

OneWorld Daily Headlines - Mon, 08/18/2008 - 13:37
In notoriously hunger-stricken Haiti, a grassroots movement is revitalizing deforested land, conserving rainwater, and leading discussions on the root causes of the ongoing food crisis.

Recent comments

An initiative of Mercy Corps
“You must be the change
you wish to see in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
Learn more about Mercy Corps >

Efficiency

Over the last five years, more than 89% of Mercy Corps' resources have been allocated directly to programs

Excellence

Mercy Corps is a Charity Navigator 4-star charity.

Click to view our rating from America's premier charity evaluator.

High Value

Every dollar you donate to Mercy Corps helps us secure $20.89 in donated food and other critical supplies.

Mercy Corps — Dept. W — 3015 SW First Ave — Portland, OR 97201
All original content Copyright © 2008 Mercy Corps. Quoted and linked content is property of the creator(s). Mercy Corps will not sell, rent or trade your personal information.