The Role of the United Nations in Globalization - Assignment Example

?Your F. PSCI 476 19 March Midterm Exam Globalization is the process over which something spreads across the world and most times includes business. Many corporations have the tendency to want to expand business practices to include other parts of the world. This then results in them receiving a higher net profit. Globalization has the tendency to bring us all closer together as one and we are living in an era of globalization resulting in an increase in telecommunications, foreign investments and innovative products. The Internet has made products more accessible to people all around the world and corporations are willing to dip their hands in the pockets of other countries. Globalization is basically an effort for a business to provide a product on a multinational effort in search for profit from wherever they can possibly get it, even if that includes having products manufactured for little cost overseas. This then has resulted in a lack of jobs in the United States due to globalization and has ultimately led to an economic downward spiral. Corporations thrive on the globalization of their business, able to make millions and offer their goods to developing companies. Occupy Wall Street is an anti-globalization group that currently protests shipping jobs overseas and keep the work here in the United States. It ks a movement designed to completely protest globalization because they expect for economic movements to stay local within our own government here in the United States. The western worlds currently dominate the majority of the world's economy and the United Nations plays a huge role when it comes to globalization. The United States plays a huge part in the United Nations due to the country being a giant in the corporate and developing realms of business. Alternately, globalization is also impacted on by embargoes that are set up in other parts of the world that can otherwise effect the rest of the world that are unable to trade goods. The economy as a whole is deeply affected in a negative way, particularly in the United States while there is a huge economic crisis going on. The value of a dollar is going down and will also affect other areas in the world and exchange rates which then also effects People on the political left have the tendency to want change while the people on the right wing do not want change. Conflicting visions are typically the topic of most political issues. Globalization is just another means for conflict in politics. It also results in a struggle between states. Some states have different resources to offer than others so globalization can effect the local economy as well as the overall national economy. The current Obama administration has the same policy that was passed from the Bush administration. Obama's stimulus package also plays a huge role in globalization not just in the United States, but also in other parts of the world because many other countries rely on the United States. Though it appears that Obama has tried to impact the economy, when looking at the bigger picture, there are still major issues in the United States that lead to unemployment, the middle class is the suffering class, and therefore contributing to the issue of globalization. It may have been a gesture of collective action but it was not quite effective enough or at least Americans are still feeling the burn of globalization's effects. The lack of jobs seems to be the largest sour idea when it comes to globalization, from the perspective of an American. Corporations not only are making money off of high priced items, but are shipping their jobs overseas to be performed at extremely low costs. Additionally, globalization is changing the world. Change does not just make the United States uneasy, but people in other economies do not know what to expect either. As a giant powerhouse of a country, many of the moves of other countries are impacted by the decisions of the United States. 2. The United States is struggling from economic recession and though it is the richest nation, it is also one with the largest deficit. The economic recession in the United States has impacted American households due to globalization because people simply do not have jobs that they used to have. There is no availability and people are struggling. The middle class is starting to file bankruptcy and the entire nation is in need of either a huge miracle or a major restructuring. There is somewhat of a political stability in the United States with two major political parties battling it out. However the country is a democracy but the political parties seem more worried about caring who is right instead of fighting for the greater of the good. In some instances, globalization is good so that growth of American companies is not just limited to the continent but instead can be used overseas. It is when the jobs escape to the other countries that we find ourselves in huge problems. Corporations do not care. They are the ones with all of the money due to the globalization. They are not the people stretching their paychecks or standing in welfare lines. Instead, they know that they have job security because they were able to seal a major overseas deal in order to expand. Other major key players in the economy include China, India, Germany, Britain, Brazil, Russia, Argentina, France, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Canada. When considering the difference that the United States households have been impacted versus how European households have been impacted, it is like comparing apples to oranges. The United States is a collection of 50 states that are incorporated under one government. Europe, on the other hand, is a huge conglomerate of several countries, all with different laws and regulations regarding globalization. Additionally, the ways that they are governed also differ. The United States has experienced a gridlock and a stalemate which has caused difficult problems for the country to overcome because of globalization. However, the countries in Europe have all had varying results. One thing about globalization is that typically, if one large powerhouse government, importer and exporter nation is struggling, chances are, the others are too. The United States as one of the richest countries in the world had more control on global economy than anyone could have ever predicted. It is because of this that as a country, we used to have a lot of disposable income and could therefore purchase products from overseas ourselves. However, due to our economic crisis, a lack of money and a weakening dollar in addition to a huge national deficit, the impacts we are feeling are also affecting other parts of the world which is representative of the United States' impact on global trade and economies. The states of Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Greece are the areas in Europe that have been affected most negatively by the additional economic recession in Europe. France also suffered from a decrease in credit ratings, such as the United States did. This had to do with making the cost of borrowing much more expensive. Russia has actually benefited from globalization and has become one of the world's largest exporters. Germany has been able to offer assistance to other countries due to its strong economic situation. Finland, Denmark and Slovenia are doing quite well while Romania is in shambles due to their political leader increasing taxes and making large cuts in wages. The difference in these European nations has to do with their resources, how they are governed and what their prior state of economy was when looking at the worldwide economic recession. 3. Globalization has become inevitable, especially with technological developments creating new opportunities to export and import new goods and products through the use of the Internet. Some of the greatest positive consequences of globalization are that there is an increase in telecommunications, the country working together in a more united way, an improvement in trade options, and an open door to markets that have not otherwise been tapped. Some other important positives of globalization is that there is an increase in competition. People are becoming increasingly more aware of quality customer service and quality control, which therefore results in better products that are more efficient, more durable and leads to customer satisfaction. Businesses that do not offer good business techniques and quality products will end up simply not surviving due to the pressure put on them by their competitors. Another part of globalization that is positive is that in areas that are considered “developing” countries, they are having an increase in employment and have better job opportunities. Unfortunately, this positive for some countries this factor has been a huge negative in other parts of the globe that previously had those jobs available and also had stronger economies. Some other areas that have seen positive consequences area foreign trade, and investment and capital flow. Additionally, there has been a spread of culture, education and a technical ability to develop innovative new products. Unity seems to be the biggest positive consequence of globalization. Some of the negative impacts of globalization include that many jobs have migrated from higher paying areas to areas where low wages are more acceptable. Cheap labor to create a product and develop it has greatly impacted many of the larger powerhouse countries, such as the United States. These third world countries work for fractions of what Americans would work for while doing the same job. This makes for a lack of jobs in American society and has thus resulted in a economic turmoil. Unfortunately, due to this, there has also been an increase in child labor laws or even slavery. The competitive global market has turned many people, including business owners or presidents, as well as governing bodies, crooked and there has been an increase in illegal activity. Another big problem of globalization is that since then it opened the borders, particularly of America for people to travel more freely. This has also influenced an increase on criminal activity and could even be a direct problem that contributed to the demise of the World Trade Center in 2001. There is an increase in terrorism because people are trying to destroy the larger countries in an attempt to eliminate competition so that the market segment would otherwise move to a different area. There are even health issues at hand. With globalization, America has expanded fast food chains to overseas markets, therefore creating an increase in the potential of obesity in other nation. AIDS is also an issue of globalization as well since the origin was in Africa. It had to spread to every country somehow. In addition, the environment is suffering. Factories are polluting the air, trees are being cut down and animals are being run off from their natural habitats. I think that globalization can be better managed through the United Nations for a start. There has to be a truce somewhere so that countries like the United States will have opportunities for their citizens without robbing third world countries of their options. Other global organizations could also be developed in order to develop treaties and to keep the greater good of the people in mind. Read More