PROs and CONs of Globalization

PROs and CONs of
Globalization
Prepared by:
Elaine J. Riñon
PROs of Globalization
Supporters of globalization argue that it has the potential to make this world a
better place to live in and solve some of the deep-seated problems like
unemployment and poverty.
• Free trade is supposed to reduce barriers such as tariffs, value
added taxes, subsidies, and other barriers between nations.
• The proponents say globalization represents free trade which
promotes global economic growth; creates jobs, makes
companies more competitive, and lowers prices for
consumers.
• Competition between countries is supposed to drive prices
down.
• It also provides poor countries, through infusions of foreign
capital and technology, with the chance to develop
economically and by spreading prosperity, creates the
conditions in which democracy and respect for human rights
may flourish.
• According to supporters, globalization and democracy

should go hand in hand. It should be pure business with
no colonialist designs.
• There is now a worldwide market for companies and
consumers who have access to products of different
countries.
• Gradually, there is a world power that is being created

instead of compartmentalized power sectors. Politics is
merging and decisions that are being taken are actually
beneficial for people all over the world. This is simply
a romanticized view of what is actually happening.
• There is more influx of information between two

countries, which do not have anything in common
between them.
• There is cultural intermingling and each country is
learning more about other cultures.
• Since we share financial interests, corporations and

governments are trying to sort out ecological problems
for each other.
• Socially, we have become more open and tolerant
towards each other and people who live in the other
part of the world are not considered aliens.
• Most people see speedy travel, mass communications

and quick dissemination of information through the
Internet as benefits of globalization.
• Labor can move from country to country to market
their skills.
• Sharing technology with developing nations will help

them progress.
• Transnational companies investing in installing plants
in other countries provide employment for the people in
those countries often getting them out of poverty.
• Globalization has given countries the ability to agree to

free trade agreements like NAFTA, South Korea Korus,
and The TPP.
CONs of Globalization
• The general complaint about globalization is that it has

made the rich richer while making the non-rich poorer.
“It is wonderful for managers, owners and investors,
but hell on workers and nature.”
• Globalization is supposed to be about free trade where

all barriers are eliminated but there are still many
barriers. For instance161 countries have value added
taxes (VATs) on imports which are as high as 21.6% in
Europe. The U.S. does not have VAT.
• The biggest problem for developed countries is that jobs are lost and
transferred to lower cost countries.” According to conservative
estimates by Robert Scott of the Economic Policy Institute, granting
China most favored nation status drained away 3.2 million jobs,
including 2.4 million manufacturing jobs. He pegs the net losses due
to our trade deficit with Japan ($78.3 billion in 2013) at 896,000 jobs,
as well as an additional 682,900 jobs from the Mexico –U.S. trade-
deficit run-up from 1994 through 2010.”
• Workers in developed countries like the US face pay-

cut demands from employers who threaten to export
jobs. This has created a culture of fear for many middle
class workers who have little leverage in this global
game.
• Large multi-national corporations have the ability to exploit tax
havens in other countries to avoid paying taxes.
• Multinational corporations are accused of social injustice,
unfair working conditions (including slave labor wages, living
and working conditions), as well as lack of concern for
environment, mismanagement of natural resources, and
ecological damage.
• Multinational corporations, which were previously

restricted to commercial activities, are increasingly
influencing political decisions. Many think there is a
threat of corporations ruling the world because they are
gaining power, due to globalization.
• Building products overseas in countries like China puts

our technologies at risk of being copied or stolen,
which is in fact happening rapidly.
• The anti-globalists also claim that globalization is not working
for the majority of the world. “During the most recent period of
rapid growth in global trade and investment, 1960 to 1998,
inequality worsened both internationally and within countries.
The UN Development Program reports that the richest 20 percent
of the world’s population consume 86 percent of the world’s
resources while the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent.”
• Some experts think that globalization is also leading to

the incursion of communicable diseases. Deadly
diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travelers
to the remotest corners of the globe.
• Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners

and child workers are used to work in inhumane
conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce
cheap goods. There is also an increase in human
trafficking.
• Social welfare schemes or “safety nets” are under great

pressure in developed countries because of deficits, job
losses, and other economic ramifications of
globalization.
Globalization is an economic tsunami that is
sweeping the planet. We can’t stop it but there
are many things we can do to slow it down and
make it more equitable.
What is missing?
Leadership
• We need politicians who are willing to confront the

cheaters. One of our biggest problems is that 7 of our
trading partners manipulate their currencies to gain
unfair price advantage which increases their exports
and decreases their imports. This is illegal under WTO
rules so there is a sound legal basis to put some kind of
tax on their exports until they quit cheating.
Balanced Trade
• Most of our trading partners can balance their trade budgets and
even run a surplus. We have not made any effort to balance our
trade budget and have run a deficit for more than 30 years
resulting in an $11 trillion deficit. The trade deficit is the single
biggest job killer in our economy, particularly manufacturing
jobs. We need the government to develop a plan to begin to
balance our trade deficit even though this is not a political
priority in either party.
Trade Agreements
• Both the NAFTA and the South Korean Korus trade agreements
might have been good for Wall Street and the multi-national
corporations but they eliminated jobs in America and expanded
our trade deficit. The upcoming Trans Pacific Trade Agreement
will do the same thing and Congress should not fast track this
bad agreement for a dozen reasons.
Enforcing the rules
• China ignores trade rules and WTO laws with reckless abandon. Besides
currency manipulation they subsidize their state owned companies to
target our markets, and provide funding to their state owned companies
that dump their products in America. They also steal our technologies, sell
counterfeit versions of our products, and impose tariffs and other barriers
anytime they want – as we do nothing to stop them. China does not
deserve to be on our most favored nation list and we need to tax their
exports to us until they stop these illegal activities.
What is good for third world countries, like Kenya, or
countries with tremendous growth, like China, has not been
good for American workers. Globalization is
deindustrializing America as we continue to outsource both
manufacturing blue collar and white collar jobs.
Supporters of globalization have made the case that it is
good because it has brought low priced imported goods, but
they have not matched the decline of wages in the middle
class and will not offset the loss of many family wage jobs.

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PROs and CONs of

• According to supporters, globalization and democracy

• Gradually, there is a world power that is being created

• There is more influx of information between two

• Since we share financial interests, corporations and

• Most people see speedy travel, mass communications

• Sharing technology with developing nations will help

• Globalization has given countries the ability to agree to

• The general complaint about globalization is that it has

• Globalization is supposed to be about free trade where

• Workers in developed countries like the US face pay-

• Multinational corporations, which were previously

• Building products overseas in countries like China puts

• Some experts think that globalization is also leading to

• Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners

• Social welfare schemes or “safety nets” are under great

• We need politicians who are willing to confront the

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