Realism and Globalization - Assignment Example

Portfolio Why did the United s experience a Renaissance after 1989? There are a number of instances in the history of nations where some periods have come to change the course of the country, for good or for all the bad reasons. What is most important is the fact that there should be more good than bad and same has been the case with the American population which started to witness something totally different and new come the year 1989. United States of America experienced a Renaissance period after the year 1989. During this time, there were changes in the American mindset as people started to see and understand their homeland in a different light altogether. There were attempts by the government to inform and educate the people of the US in a totally different manner and the government wanted to introduce new measures and policies when it came to the economic and financial bases. There were changes all over, not only in economics but also in terms of politics and infrastructural developments. All these things accounted for the modifications which actually took place during the period of Renaissance after the year 1989. The reason why Americans experienced such a period is due to the fact that the leaders of the country wanted it to happen and they wanted the people to know that a lot of different measures and steps which were taken by that time were for their own betterment and good. People started to experience life in a different way altogether and thus changes were experienced left, right and center. All said and done, this Renaissance experience was for the positive side of the Americans and there was nothing to worry about as far as the people of the United States are concerned. 2. Can Realism help us understand the globalization of world politics? Realism can make the humanity realize the importance of having a grasp of the global regimes which are working day and night to make a difference, no matter in whichever capacity they are functional. This suggests the fact that realism has a say or two in the global contexts and hence has a direct bearing on the subject of globalization so to speak. Realism brings to light the salient aspects related with world politics which directly or for that matter indirectly comes under the globalization module and thus a strong linkage is made apparent between the very two. Without a doubt, the world economy has grown in recent decades. So much so, that the pundits have said something good about it. International trade is something that is attributed to this upheaval. It has formed the motivating factor behind the very same. Developing countries have also stepped on to the bandwagon and are thus bringing in more and more opportunities for the developed nations to invest their money in their territories. One such example is that of outsourcing where developed nations are taking the plunge and entering into the developing nations’ zones and thus reaping huge benefits. It should be kept in mind here that this is a symbiotic relationship, benefiting both the parties on a consistent basis. It has also been seen that the developed nations are more than happy to outsource their work and set up offshore avenues in order to earn revenues and make the most out of their business. All this has been made possible to the realism relation of globalization as far as carrying out business, trade and politics of different states is concerned. Outsourcing of late has come out as something that is becoming a trend and thus is an important issue to surface in the recent times. It has also hit the presidential elections in the United States. With outsourcing comes a responsibility as well. Such is the relation of globalization with the international politics. The realism aspect thus cannot be left behind in this race to start with. 3. How can we explain the different impact that globalization has on different states? Globalization involves within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. Globalization has opened a number of avenues, one such being the incorporation of outsourcing which is also known as global sourcing. Global sourcing is a phenomenon which is on the rise with the passage of time. It is also known as ‘outsourcing’ as it looks to cover the weak areas of a business, enterprise or a country for that matter in another’s area of strength, manpower abundance and availability of proper resources. However all this requires sound planning and immediate provision of funds which will not only benefit the two parties, but also the major (and minor) stakeholders, the employees working at the sites and above all the whole society who is about to go on a radical shift in their fortunes. In an economic zone, globalization plays a significant role at increasing trade on an international front which as compared to the global economy, is much faster and ahead of its time. Furthermore, we can predict an increase in the flow of capital that has been coming from the global regimes which might include for the foreign direct investment as being one part of it. Furthermore, globalization improves the technological infrastructures and supports in the development of the telecommunications not only on a regional scale but throughout the world. There is immense possibility of trans-border data being transferred whereas technologies like Internet, submarine fiber optic wires and cables, wireless telephony devices and communication satellites are being made use of. Globalization helps improve cultural exchange across a wide cross section of regions scattered all over the world. It helps in playing its due part in the multiculturalism concept where the individuals within it have easy access to the cultural diversities of one another. There is a lot to learn and adapt in the wake of the same. 4. How serious is the threat that Islam Poses to the West and vice versa? Islam and the West are at odds with one another mostly due to the fact that the hard line Islamic extremist elements and the naïve policies adopted by the West do not go hand in hand. If these two elements mesh with each other and work for the betterment of the society, humanity and the global basis, then there could be envisaged some light at the end of the tunnel. The problem with Islam is that it is bracketed in a negative manner due to the actions of a few extremists who do not know anything apart from aggression and terrorism. What Islam teaches is totally difference since the meaning of the word Islam is peace itself. The threat posed by Islam to the West is one of a serious nature since the extremist elements are of the view that the West and indeed the United States does not listen to what Muslims have to say. They hold the belief that the West simply crushes them whenever it gets an opportunity to do so. This could be correct but then again it is significant to comprehend that clapping can only be done when both the hands meet. The mistake is not only of the extremist Muslim elements but also from the policy makers who hail from the West and particularly from the American region. West however poses a serious threat to Islam since the West can shake off the very basis of the Muslim states by abandoning aid and financial help and thus could literally kill the economies of these countries. This could be a slow death for the Muslim countries and indeed the religion could be swept away from the face of the earth if same remains the case however as Allah (God) has suggested in the Holy Koran (The Holy Book), Islam will eventually prevail over all forces and elements that come in its way. However, it is to the loss of both Islam and the West if the two do not understand each other and hence the need is to devise a way which is a balancing act more than anything else. 5. Is regionalism a contradiction of globalization? Whereas regionalism is more focused on the aspects related with a particular nation or area, globalization looks to cater to the needs, wants and desires of the whole world in a local manner. Indeed regionalism has limited scope when we compare it with globalization. Globalization has offered to the modern world certain drawbacks as well which go hand in hand with the positives. This means that globalization is not something that can be looked upon in entirety but has to be centered on the minuses that it offers as well. For starters, they bring new and fresh challenges to the local markets as they have to meet the expectations as laid down by the reforms and works of the global companies and industrial units. For others, this may mean that they have to let go of their traditional norms and cultural values so that they can adjust in accordance with the globalization’s developments. The effect of this regime thus brings in an atmosphere of finding out the foreign entities more than their own personal selves which is indeed a drawback to say the very least. There is decimation in the ranks of the local cultures as is apparent in the instance of third world countries where influence of West is pretty clear for one and all to see. Similarly, within Africa this has been the norms for decades now. In all essence, the commercialization of culture is one significant thing that comes to mind under this discussion. This has an impact on people’s thinking, their values, their actions and behaviors. In fact the commercialization of culture makes one thing for sure; it keeps the local culture in cold storage and tries to show off the innate qualities, whether there or not in reality, to its adopters. For this basis cultural commercialization is also remarked as the ‘McDonaldization’ in some areas of study. Thus the aspect of regionalism is severely negated when one speaks of the gains and benefits brought forward by the term which we know as globalization. All said and done, globalization and regionalism do not go hand in hand and definitely contradict each other. BIBLIOGRAPHY Taylor, Timothy. The Truth about Globalization. Public Interest, 2002 Word Count: 1,750 Read More