Social critic stands up for globalization By Richard Gaines Staff writer
Author - and economic and social observer - Doug Henwood last night debunked the high anxiety and fea of globalization as misplaced and urged a more apt focus on American economic imperialism
His 40-minute talk to the Cape Ann Forum found globalization to be a false bogeyman, not responsible for the homogenization of world cultures, lower living standards and lousy music.
Indeed, said Henwood, who also opines in books, the Cold War leftist magazine the Nation and on a New York radio station, there is so much diverse culture bubbling in the borough of Queens, New York, that worries of a muted expression of cultural differences in more provincial places ought to be abandoned.
His address, titled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Globalization," began with a thesis that the concept of cultures connected by trade has been around just about forever.
The bad results - slavery, exploitation of Third World labor, lower wages here and exported jobs - are not due to the intrinsic impulse to trade, but to the bad values of the traders, especially those of American government leaders and corporations.
"Corporate globalism: bad," he said. "Popular globalism: good."
He argued that the challenge is not to fight globalism, but to purify it - with egalitarian values.
"'Workers of the world, unite' is not just a slogan any more," said Henwood. "It's a real possibility."
He also suggested that the audience fear not that U.S. imperial globalism would have its way. Not since the awakening of the Asian giant economy and culture known as China.
"China is not some cheap competition," he said to an informed audience at the Unitarian Universalist church. "It's a formidable adversary" that will test the United States like it's not been tested since "we've become top dog after World War II."
"Seventy-five years from now," he said, "we'll be watching the equivalent of Chinese MTV.
In a fast and wide-ranging examination of global economic developments since the 15th century, he seemed to harbor especially harsh feelings toward Ralph Nader, the nemesis of globalization and fomenter of the consumer rebellion against corporatism."
He seems like a joyless character," said Henwood. "He enjoys self-denial."
As for capitalism itself, which he seemed to identify as the skeleton on which globalism has grown, he was philosophical. "Capitalism has always produced poverty along with wealth," said Henwood.
His prescription for a better globalization came in three steps: first, a freer movement of people across national borders, the globalization of trade unions and greater cooperation among poor countries.