Globalization And Resistance - Essay Example

Globalization and Resistance Name Institution Professor Course Date Johnson, L. (2014). Join, or Die: Neoliberalism, Epistemontology, Social Harmony and the (Invisible) Invisible Hand. News Apps: Art, Politics, Philosophy, Science 20th July 2014. Overall, the arguments on neoliberalism highlighted in the article are practical. It is apparent that in the politics of the 21st century, neoliberalism remains a major political philosophy for international institutions and governments across the globe. Neoliberalism is a political force which most persons in the world must reckon with. One of the most interesting parts of the article is that the description of the ideological position of neoliberalism depends heavily on the differentiation of neoliberalism as a certain form of ideology which includes epistemontology (Johnson, 2014). The actuality that neoliberalism as an ideology is an epistemontology offers a means of explaining why most manifestations of the past such as globalization, sustainability, resilience, post-identity politics, relational aesthetics, creative destruction, privatization and bio-politics are over and over again comprehended via algorithms (Johnson, 2014). It is interesting to hear that neoliberals are ever searching for better extrapolative mathematical formulas for comprehending how market agents rationally and freely determine their interests and control the market. However, by virtue of the algorithmic analyses of their market, these neoliberals stage-manage the market and its agents. One factor that you should understand is that neoliberalism operates in close proximity with the market, and it derives its logic from market forces (Harvey, 2005). Claiming that capitalism autonomy is the herald of all other type of freedom and rights, neoliberals commit their strengths in liberating capitalists regulations of a given states. Other freedoms and rights: legal, political economic and social freedoms and rights understood as the right to pensions, social security and employment come second. According to Korany (2010), neoliberalism gains its strength from its appeal to market rationality and efficiency. The ethical world is colonized by the market model in the name of representing universal rationality by freeing and sanctioning human nature ethically (Korany, 2010).You make great and wonderful points on neoliberal economic analyses and social harmony. It is correct that neoliberals can understand social harmony as something that happens in states (Johnson, 2014). However, in real sense one way to comprehend harmony is as a result of convergence of stages where waves combine with diverse frequencies to create something complete. If people can be viewed as different forms of waves with diverse frequencies, there social harmony is evident. Social harmony does not come naturally (Jodi, 2008). The article is informative and persuasive but I do not concur with your assertion that there is a devotion to the naturalness of individuals or spontaneity of markets. The break with liberalism style of Adam-Smith is as a result of repudiation to consider that markets happen impulsively. I believe that the squabble for markets is founded on the price mechanism efficiency. I take that your provisions and arguments invoke popular opinion that can influence or shape people’s mind on neoliberalism. In my view, the concept of neoliberalism is applicable in reference to numerous political ideologies with some disparities, and people will continue questioning whether neoliberalism political philosophy is a coherent ideology. Despite different understanding and definitions, neoliberalism is the common sense of the modern era and the basis of conservative, liberal and labour parties ((Harvey, 2005). Irrespective of the many definitions and use of the term, neoliberalism entails the agenda of social and economic transformation under the sign of free market. Your assertion that there is no ‘living’ that is not’ joining’ is practical because to live under neoliberalism means to submit or accept the bundle of rights required for capital accumulation. Revkin, A.(2014). China Clarifies its Plans on Setting a CO2 Emissions Peak. The New York Times July 15, 2014. China confirms that it may hit the peak of carbon dioxide emissions. The country is focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions (Revkin, 2014). However, the country must not over-inflate its expectations about what its leaders are willing and able to do. This is because sustaining the development of the country’s middle class is a top priority. In addition, China is a developing nation with diverse responsibilities on greenhouse gases compared to developed nations. It is great to hear that China is constantly pursuing polices that will allow it to cut down on emission of greenhouse gases. This is a great step the country is taking, but the feasibility of the policy remains unclear. The ideas presented in the article are realistic but attaining a carbon dioxide free China is like a dream that calls for a lot of energy and time. However, the understanding that China’s greenhouse gas emission will attain its peak and begin to decline is important to environmentalist and the world’s community at large. China is the world’s fastest and biggest developing source of carbon dioxide (Revkin, 2014). Notwithstanding the increased speed of growth and development, China has been reluctant to consider targets for carbon reduction. To some extent, I believe attaining the carbon dioxide emission peak is possible because in the last few decades, china has been capable of providing a secure energy supply to maintain the increased pace of its economic growth. According to Goldthau (2013), the Chinese government has realised that increased investment costs, pollution emissions, resource consumption and low production and efficiency of its present economic development blueprint cannot sustainably continue. In this regard, the country has acknowledged the risk that severe climate shifts poses risks to its people and economy, hence the importance of taking actions both internationally and domestically to handle climate change (Lowe, 2005). Perhaps, the fact that China is the largest carbon dioxide emitting nation in the world will motivate the country and increase international pressure to set its record clean and join other nations in cleaning up the environment. Given its current status, the country is facing increased pressure internationally to address its emissions. However, the question is whether the country’s absolute greenhouse gas emission will reach its peak and begin to reduce. According to Liu and Tian (2014), Chinese research institutions assessed the rate of carbon dioxide emissions and indicated that these emissions will peak by 2030. Given this scenario, despite the country willingness to lower its emission of greenhouse gases, total emissions will constantly rise quickly. In this regard, the international community and the country must intensify emissions reduction efforts to make sure that the emission peak as soon as possible (Liu & Tian, 2014). An earlier peak in GHG emissions would greatly minimize the potentially serious effects of global climate change. Although the issue of climate change and its effects on the natural environment is a global issue, the willingness to set out plans to reduce emission of GHG begins with individual nations. To succeed in this battle, China should massively lower energy use and establish non-fossil fuel sources instead of setting a timetable to hit eventual GHG emission peak. After all, this are just signals but the world need real actions to deal with climate change. There must be a critical balance amid planet’s limits and human affairs. Pflanz, M.(2014). African leaders vote to give themselves immunity from war crimes prosecutions. The Telegraph, 02 July 2014. Crimes against humanity are conceived as crimes perpetrated on a large scale (Schoenbaum, 2006). The perpetrators of such crimes should be charged individually in international criminal court but not as a nation. However, trial at international criminal court should be fair to all perpetrators regardless of their ethnic background. While a vote to give African leaders immunity from war crimes prosecutions could be a backwards step, perhaps it is an indication of lack of fairness of the international criminal court. The ICC will not be allowed to prosecute leaders accused of crimes against humanity in Africa (Pflanz, 2014). I do not partially consider this decision a backward step or forward step. This is because in the recent past only cases involving African leaders are being tried in the ICC. It is important to protect sitting presidents from prosecutions to allow them carryout out their mandate to people who put them in their leadership positions. Besides fairness, another questions arising from the article is the sovereignty and the rule of law of the involved nations. Leadership and governance remain the utmost challenge facing the contemporary world. As result, nations require establishments that deliver and governments that are sensitive and accountable to the requirements of the population. By shielding African leaders from ICC prosecutions, the nations want to test their sovereignty and not necessarily a strategy to rig elections or to evade legal actions. Elections are rigged everywhere even in nations where leaders are not ICC suspects. In addition, elections are rigged due to political interference and for political gains. The assertion that the decision of the African leaders cannot be justified at a time when the continent is trying to guarantee accountability of abuses and human rights is realistic (Pflanz, 2014). . However, it is also important for the nations to maintain calm, peace and unity at a time when the continent is facing hard economic times. The economy of one nations affect the other, hence the need to work together. On the other hand, while the leaders need to create an atmosphere that ensures economic and social prosperity, justice for crimes’ victims under provisions of international law must be upheld (Zifcak, 2005). Perhaps, the reason why African leaders seek immunity is the handling of high profile cases by ICC. I believe that seeking immunity is not impunity and if it does violate domestic and international laws, people have the freedom to choose what is good for them. According to Schoenbaum (2006), people obey law without coercion and if intimidation were the only means to prompt law-abiding conduct, the society would be impossible given that there would be no way to support every conceivable rule with compulsion. People must deal with each other without sanctions threats and they should deal with government establishments on many matters understanding that the government, which after all is sovereign, can declare a cessation on all its mandates. People obey laws out of a sense of justice, a belief that it is right and essential to live in the society. If people feel that the law is unfair or unjust, they can chose not to follow it or amend it. International law should be obeyed out of a sense of incomparability, societal values and necessity of community (Johnstone, 2011). Legitimacy of international law relies in its fairness; in the sense that nations and international actors obey law that satisfies the fairness criteria. As a basis for compliance and to function properly, international system must satisfy criteria of distributive and corrective justice (Schoenbaum, 2006). Pritchard, A. (2014). BIS chief fears fresh Lehman from worldwide debt surge. The Telegraph, 13 July, 2014. The contention that the world economy is vulnerable to financial crisis is realistic. The fact that debt ratios are by far high and surfacing marketing die during their initiation process makes the world economy more vulnerable to financial crisis. It is true that investors are doing little to ensure that their businesses remain operational even during financial shocks. Markets do not consider the wide spectrum of potential results and this kills these markets before they reach the maturity stage. A higher foreign debt ration negatively affects investment ratio because it mirrors higher cost (Lounsbury, 2010). According to Mitra, (2007), higher foreign indebtedness in form of government-guaranteed foreign debt may deter domestic investment. This is because it increases taxes on domestic assets. When obligations of debt-service are high, augmenting public resources to pay the debt lowers resources and incentives accessible to the private sector. However, most stable economies are serviced through debt. The affirmation that when public and private debts continue to build up, the economy fails to climb on a sustainable path and fiscal and monetary polices decreases is questionable. While polices may lose their efficiency and promote the conditions that they prevent, a successful industrial nation is serviced by a credit system. However, those in control of the credit system are responsible for its failure and failure of the entire economy (Aizenman, 2011). It is true debt cannot be fought with another debt and there is something outlandish about addressing debt through increasing more debt. According to Mitra (2007), depending on debt can augment corporate vulnerability and firms or nations with heavy debts are vulnerable in times of economic downturns. From the International Monetary Fund perspective, the world can chip away its increased debt with inflation. While this can in real sense help in lowering the debt, devaluing huge debt mountain effectively would call for inflation on a roaring scale. This may also call for reformation of the financial structure so as to chip down the debt mountain down to size and ensuring fair costs (Aizenman, 2011). According to Dyson (2014), debt liquidation through inflation comes with increased risks of political, economic and social costs particularly when inflation gains momentum and runs out of control. The conclusion that chipping away debt through inflation may be met with resistance by creditors is true because inflation conveys wealth to debtors at the expense of savers and creditors. However, the incentive to utilise inflation to liquidate debts augments if the government hold the monopoly over paper money printing and the temptation that inflation quickly subvert debt burden and it is not easy to resist. References Aizenman, J.(2011). Using inflation to erode the US public debt. Journal of macroeconomics, 33 (4), 524-541. Dyson, K.(2014). States, debt, and power: Saints and sinners in European history and integration. Oxford University Press. Goldthau, A.(2013). The handbook of global energy policy. London: John Wiley & Sons. Harvey, D.( 2005). A brief history of Neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jodi, D. (2008). Enjoying neoliberalism. Cultural Politics, 4 (1), 47-72. Johnson, L. (2014). Join, or Die: Neoliberalism, Epistemontology, Social Harmony and the (Invisible) Invisible Hand, News Apps: Art, Politics, Philosophy, Science 20th July 2014. Retrieved from http://www.newappsblog.com/2014/07/join-or-die- neoliberalism-epistemontology-social-harmony-and-the-invisible-invisible- hand.html. Johnstone, I. (2011). The power of deliberation: International law, politics ands organisations. Oxford: Oxford University press. Korany, B.(2010). The changing middle east: A new look at regional dynamic. Cairo: American Univ in Cairo Press. Liu, W., & Tian, J.(2014). Greenhouse gas emissions in China’s econ-industrial parkas: A case study of the Beijing economic technological development area. Journal of Cleaner Production, 66 (1), 384-391. Lounsbury, M.(2010). Markets on trial: The economic sociology of the U.S. financial Crisis, Part 2. New York: Emerald Group Publishing. Lowe, I. (2005). Environmental values in the globalising world: Grounds for cautious optimism. London: Cengage Learning. Mitra, S.(2007). Is the quantity of government debt a constraint for monetary policy. New York: International Monetary Fund. Pflanz, M.(2014). African leaders vote to give themselves immunity from war crimes prosecutions. The Telegraph, 02 July 2014. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/10940047/Afr ican-leaders-vote-to-give-themselves-immunity-from-war-crimes- prosecutions.html Pritchard, A.(2014). BIS chief fears fresh Lehman from worldwide debt surge. The Telegraph, 13 July, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/10965052/Bank-for-International- Settlements-fears-fresh-Lehman-crisis-from-worldwide-debt- surge.html#disqus_thread Revkin, A.(2014). China Clarifies its Plans on Setting a CO2 Emissions Peak. The New York Times July 15, 2014, Retrieved from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/15/china-clarifies-its-plans-on-setting- a-co2-emissions-peak/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Schoenbaum, T.(2006),. International relations: The path not taken. Cambridge University press. Zifcak, S.(2005). Globalising the rule of law: Rethinking values and reforming institutions. London: Routledge. Read More