Advantages and Disadvantages of a Global Economy - Essay Example

However, according to some, the U.S. benefits the most from globalization (Weber et. al.). New businesses have a much greater earning potential under globalization, as they can immediately reach both a potential workforce and potential customers from a much larger, global population. There is the possibility that with increased interests and partnerships in another country, this may act as a deterrent to attacking or invading that country; but the opposite scenario may also become more likely, where nations act militarily to defend their interests.

            The disadvantages of a global economy include corporate policies that do not take into account the best interest of developing countries they do business in. There have been many protests against globalization and its exploitation of cheap labor in third-world countries. There may also be a negative effect on the environment when businesses race to obtain the cheapest materials and are not subject to legislation and regulations overseas. The increased travel to foreign countries also increases the emission of greenhouse gases.

            There are also new dangers associated with globalization. A global economy that increasingly utilizes the internet can also quickly spread extremist ideologies (Weber et. al.). Greater international trade can also lead to greater distribution of illegal drugs. And the increased travel associated with globalization can speed the transmission of disease. These new dangers of globalization have become the new challenges of the post-Cold War world.

Part II – Berlin Wall


            One of the pictures that is the most moving is the fourth picture in “The Berlin Wall: A Pictorial History.”  This picture is of an East German soldier jumping over the barbed wire to join his family on the other side. The picture has a quality of mysteriousness because the picture captures him in midair over the barbed wire.  Without knowing any more about this particular soldier or whether there are any other soldiers nearby who may try to stop him, it leaves the question of whether he landed in West Berlin and made it to safety.

            The ninth picture in this section showing someone hammering at the Berlin Wall is also very powerful. It contains the very powerful symbolism of breaking down barriers that divide people, whatever they may be. It is also symbolic of people having the power to change their governments, and that the forces that build walls in the first place can be overruled by individuals. Because a wall is a fairly permanent structure, this picture is also symbolic of the end of a long era; tearing the wall down symbolized the end of the political structures that acted to build the wall in the first place

            The sixth picture in this section showing shadows of people waving to people on the other side of the wall is also moving and memorable. The body language of a few of the people is such that you can suppose they want to greet the people on the other side; this is evident in the way they are holding both arms fully extended above their heads. This is not a flaky royal hand flipping by way of greeting but appears to be a soul-wrenching desire to communicate to the other side.

            Photos played a large part in the Cold War, especially because in some circumstances they were the only information that we had about the other side of the conflict. The Iron Curtain established a wall that separated people to the extent that people growing up in the West had little information about the Soviet Union people and the government that had so many nuclear weapons pointed at them and vice versa. Sometimes it was hard to separate facts about people from propaganda. Seeing the photos of people on the other side of the Iron Curtain, as well as photos of large numbers of people hammering and breaking apart pieces of the Berlin Wall was one of the most surprising times; there was a strong realization that people on the other side of the conflict, people that we knew little about and that we had feared were our worst enemies, were just like us and wanted the walls to come down as much as we did.