Westernization or bust

    Globalization, or as it really means, Westernization, is inevitable.  We have begun a slippery slope; there are some great rewards in this system, and some terrifying risks.  The clip of The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman we viewed in class did not glorify what was happening in Bangalor, India, but rather served as a presage to what the world is turning into.  Contrasted with Naomi Klein's "objective" look at the marketing concept of branding, Friedman's theory seems more plausible and realistic.

    The West has introduced some very foreign concepts to the relatively longer-isolated East.  The ideas of banking, free trade, and even individual democatric rights have emanated from the West.  There are drawbacks, however, to such a production-oriented organization of humans.  In many developing countries, Western ideas have been translated largely as "the ends justify the means".  The trouble is, the ideas have already begun being adopted by these developing countries, and once they see the returns on their investments of time and work they will begin enjoying the goods Westerners have deemed "good".

    Naomi Klein's work No Logo bothers me.  It was neither her lack of information, nor was her argument flawed, but it was just that--an argument.  It was deceitful to me to call her work an objective study of something when all the while she was pushing an agenda of anti-corporation sentiment.  Corporations do bad things like exploit cost savings (which horribly sometimes how these companies look at human beings), but they also do great things (like develop drugs that save people's lives).  Further, since we have started down this road of globalization, corporations develop a sense of familiarity among its customers with its product or service, especially during the increased international travel we will likely see from all countries in the coming generations. 

    Both Klein and Friedman are very intelligent authors.  The presentations of their ideas were both interesting and insightful.  The viewing of this story also sparked an interesting discussion in class Thursday.  The most poignant comment came from a Sri Lankan man, I think.  He said that this influx of capital, and capitalism for that matter, has been good for the country.  Now that's just one person's view, but Western nonetheless.