Many so-called "pro-globalization" people are well aware of - and concerned about - the dangers of globalization. And many "anti-globalization" activists love the global village aspects of globalization but rail against corporate globalization.

Am I in favor of globalization or against it? In this column I have often written about and provided Web links to pro- and anti-globalization articles, resources, and organizations. But "pro" and "anti" are really only the extremes in a complex issue where most of us fall somewhere in the broad middle. Many so-called "pro-globalization" people are well aware of - and concerned about - the dangers of globalization.

And many "anti-globalization" activists love the global village aspects of globalization but rail against corporate globalization.

The downsides of globalization are very similar to the downsides of capitalism. Capitalism can lead to rampant poverty, exploited workers, cheated stockholders, fraudulent product claims, disregard for the environment, and so on. In the western world we address
these flaws in capitalism with regulation.

We have laws to protect workers, stockholders, consumers, the environment, etc. The laws fail and need be re-tooled at times because the profit motive is so powerful. The dance between what is good for business and what is good for society is the centerpiece of our public life. It fills newspapers, courtrooms, corporate meetings, and public rallies.

While this regulatory system has been evolving for generations within western nations, there is no equivalent system for taking the rough edges off globalization worldwide. There is no formal, legal equivalent on the global scene to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and all the other groups which create a comfortable safety net - and level playing field - for American investors, consumers, and workers. And even if these global agencies DID exist, there is no global equivalent to the police and courts to enforce the regulations.

So I count myself as one of those people in the broad middle. I love global telecommunication, cheap foreign travel, global music, foreign food, foreign policy, and - ashamedly - inexpensive goods made overseas. Yet I hate the fact that in most developing countries it is way too easy for a western company to exploit workers, dump toxic waste, and avoid taxes.

I like the McRib sandwich, David Letterman, and good American movies. But I hate the way this stuff is glorified in other countries to the point of driving out amazing local music, art, and food.

I don't want to invest in the Phillip Morris tobacco company, yet I also don't want to dress up like a skeleton on stilts and march through town.

I like the fact that with only a few hours notice I could hop on a plane to Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipai, or Seoul. But I am scared that those planes could be bringing SARS to my home town.

All this makes me conflicted...but it doesn't make me pro- or anti-globalization. So what organization do I join, what petition do I sign, and what color ribbon do I wear on my shirt? I still don't have those answers.






Contributed by Keith Porter. Reprinted with permission from globalization.about.com.

To read another Global Envision article about the ambiguity of pro and anti globalization positions, see Globalization: Good or Bad?