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| Redefining the Globalisation Debate |
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By Farooq Khan
farooq.khan@newcivilisation.com
This essay is taken from a forthcoming book entitled ‘Redefining the Globalisation Debate’. | |
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Until now, the globalisation debate has been shaped by the proponents of capitalism and the anti-globalisation movement who derive their ideological inspiration from the political ideals of socialist philosophy. However, all of this is about to change as a new ideological storm emerges on the horizon to redefine the intellectual borders of the globalisation debate.
We have entered a new era of epochal change defined by globalisation and the transition into the post-industrial age. Politicians, thinkers and nations can no longer think of themselves in a parochial context of nationalism that gave rise to the modern nation state of the industrial era. Rather, we must think in a new international context since globalisation means that nations can no longer think of themselves in isolation to the rest of the world. The growing interdependencies between nations driven by changes in the structure of the global economy, international relations and technological advancement are forcing people to question the nature of the nation state and social organisation, which we have yet to fully comprehend. Radical new thinking is required to meet the new challenges, which will be unlike any other period in human history. This is because, for the first time in our history, these challenges have to be met as a global community. It will truly be unprecedented and this international debate requires a global political philosophy which is the subject of this essay.
The development of globalisation
Historically, globalisation can be argued to have begun with international trade that grew out of technological advances in transportation during the 15th century. The advances made in shipbuilding and navigation combined with the ideological revolution in Europe as a consequence of the reformation and renaissance precipitated rapid technological advancement and economic growth. During Europe’s intellectual and political transformation capitalism emerged as the dominant feature of secular philosophy generating a whole new paradigm in economic thinking and intellectual creativity. This was to have a profound influence on not only integrating the world but the shape that it would take over the centuries.
The emergence of the stock exchange in the 16th century enabled the emerging powers in Europe to finance wars and generate economic growth. Europe traded with Africa, the Americas, the near and far east on an unprecedented scale culminating in the colonisation of these lands. Consequently western colonialism has and continues to have a profound impact upon global integration. Industrialisation accelerated the forces of globalisation, which Britain exemplified in the vast railway networks she created across her empire. Professor Niall Ferguson wrote in his book, ‘Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power’ that Britain built the modern world and established the infrastructure for globalisation in the 19th and 20th century. However America soon superseded Britain and the rest of Europe politically, economically and technologically in the aftermath of the Second World War. While Britain, France and Germany led the world during the industrial revolution America now leads the world into a post-industrial revolution by harnessing the power of knowledge and information.
Alvin Toffler describes this period as the “third wave” and the birth of a “new civilisation”, while Francis Fukuyama describes it as the “great disruption”. However this historic transformation is not only changing the basis of wealth creation but is also precipitating an evolution in western political thought. Philip Bobbit described this epoch-making cycle as fundamentally changing the nature of the nation state. He said, “Three strategic innovations won the Long War: nuclear weapons, international communications, and the technology of rapid mathematical computation. Each has wrought a dramatic change in the military, cultural, and economic challenges that face the nation-state. In each of these spheres, the nation-states faces ever increasingly difficulty in maintaining the credibility of its claim to provide public goods for the nation.”
Globalisation therefore presents the world with new epochal challenges, dynamics and opportunities that require rethinking the nature of state and political philosophy from first principles. Anthony Giddens said, “globalisation is restructuring the ways in which we live” and “the era of the nation state is over.” The issue of contention that has so far divided western thinkers is whether globalisation is something, which is detrimental to human progress, or whether it is something that can advance humanity on a global level. Joseph Stiglitz believes that capitalism can elevate the world as long as globalisation is correctly managed. The Nobel Laureate said, “I believe that globalisation – the removal of barriers to free trade and the closer integration of national economies – can be a force for good and that it has the potential to enrich everyone in the world, particularly the poor,” therefore, “The problem is not with globalisation, but with how it has been managed. Part of the problem lies with the international economic institutions, with the IMF, World Bank and WTO, which help set the rules of the game.”
However the anti-globalisation movement contend that globalisation has created unprecedented economic inequality, which has become synonymous with capitalism and western imperialism. There is no doubt that globalisation as we experience today has meant political and economic exploitation but there are those on the political left who also realise the opportunities globalisation presents to the world i.e. a distinction needs to be made between globalisation and the ideological system of capitalism which is shaping global integration. George Monbiot articulated this vision in his manifesto for a new world order. He said, “Our task is not to overthrow globalisation, but to capture it, and to use it as a vehicle for humanity’s first global democratic revolution.”
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