Power Politics?
Not to dwell on the negative, but… Globalization, at least in the
US has a created an extremely negative effect of human rights. Terrorism alone is a violation of human rights. However,
US reaction to fears of terrorist has set back human rights as well, ignoring human rights legislation which developed as a result of the horrors of World War II. The Military Commissions Act of 2006, while containing provisions guarding against torture, also allows for the complete suspension of habeius corpus for those classified as, or being sympathetic to an “enemy combatant” – without the rights of either a criminal or a prisoner of war, and prohibiting anyone from claiming rights given under Article III of the Geneva Convention – including the right to trial. This complete disregard for international rights goes a long way towards slowing down the processes of globalization through prohibiting the development of international law. As long as the
United States (or any super power for that matter) remains able to twist international law to their whims, the world will remain unflat. Similarly, as in the article we read in class- the presence of a powerful economy remains one of the arguments against free trade- a country large enough will be able to manipulate the market in their favor. (Feel free to correct me on the economics)
I found an artical on the the development of international human rights titled; Transnational Human Rights Obligations
It is scholerlly, primary, and opinion
Skogly, Sigrun I., and Mark Gibney. ”Transnational human rights obligations.” Human Rights Quarterly 24.3 (August 2002): 781(18). Academic OneFile. Thomson Gale. University of Mary Washington. 23 Oct. 2006
<http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-
Not to keap on bringing up Africa, but… I found this picture by Erik Kristensen. I was origionally drawn to it because of its description, which labals the bridge as a project supported by the European Union. This came as a surprise to me, but apparently the European Union is a huge African doner (along with the World Bank) and has a partnership with the African Union. It supports a wide range of projects, anything from serving as a 3rd party election observer in Zambia, to building infustructure (the lack of which is a huge hinderance towreds economic development.) What is perhaps most striking is that the EU is itself a collaboration betwean a group of countries, and it works with not only Africa, but also countries in the Caribean and in the Pacific. From what I see on its web site, the EU seams to be trying to do what the US did after WW2; democratization through economic aid, this alone is an exportation of political culture.
On a side note. Their are still places in the world that not even the UN will truelly touch, Dafur currently bieng the most recognized. Anti-globalization is taking place.
A couple summers ago I went to Oceana, West Virginia. One of the ressidence of the town was talking about an incident which has occured only about seven years eirlier. He spoke passionatlly about how he had worked for decades at a mining company which essentially employed the entire town. When they found they could hire the residents of another town for cheaper, they simply took their buissiness elsewhere; decades of hard work and seved up leave and benifits gone with no warning. The economy of the entire town in ruins. It begs the question in outsourcing, or any ecconomy; what do we do with those who are lost in the shuffle. Reading Friedman’s book in many ways has reshaped my view on globalization, but I think sometimes for practicalities sake ecconomic anylists don’t always take into account the humanity envolved in the labor force, and for many education will simply come too late.
