By Dr. Sawraj Singh
The present western led globalization is in deep trouble because there is a deep anti globalization feeling in many western countries including the USA. The western countries never believed in a true globalization which has a true spirit of a global community and which can provide a plain field for all the players. The west wanted to limit globalization to just economics and never promoted an ethical globalization. For the west, globalization was only meant to expand their markets to the maximum and to maximize its profit. It never wanted to address the issues of fair distribution of wealth and resources. These are ethical issues. However, the present globalization is economic only globalization without any ethical aspect.
Means of transportation and communication have physically globalized the world. However, our thinking has not become global. We have not acquired a global perspective. Therefore, we have a globalization without a global perspective. We end up having a globalization which is incomplete and inadequate because it has neither a global perspective nor an ethical aspect. This globalization was bound to fail and be replaced by a globalization which could provide these missing elements. Only the East can provide those. Russia, China and India; the leading countries of the East have to takeover leadership of a globalization which can replace the present globalization.
The question is why the western led globalization was bound to fail? I feel that there are two main reasons for this phenomenon. The first, the western experience in the field of human development was neither as extensive nor as deep as the eastern experience. The second, the modern western civilization is based upon capitalist consumer culture. This civilization does not meet the criteria of a civilization. All other civilizations tried in some way to lift men from lower centers to higher centers. Capitalism has done the reverse. It has pushed men toward de humanization by inciting selfishness, greed, arrogance, extravagance, greed and vengeance.
Under cover of globalization, the rich countries have exploited the poor countries and the rich in each country have exploited the poor in that country. The result is concentration of wealth in a few hands and the widening gap between the rich and the poor countries as well as between the rich and the poor in each country. The just released statistics on global wealth confirm these assertions. The top 1% now own more than 50% wealth of the world. The US gained more than half of the wealth gained in the world. It is predicted that in the next 10 years, China and the third world countries will gain wealth at a faster rate than the US and Europe. Unipolar globalization led by the west will be replaced by multipolar globalization in which different centers of economic power will emerge. Instead of a single most powerful country, the US, Russia, China and India should jointly takeover the overall leadership of the new globalization.
Christianity laid the foundation of the western civilization. It promoted selflessness, sharing, humility, austerity and forgiveness. These are exactly opposite values of what consumerist capitalist culture is inciting. America was the weakest link in the western world as far as depth of culture is concerned. Traditional values of the western civilization could never take deep roots in America. Therefore, America became the epicenter of capitalist consumer culture. American capitalism can be called consumerist capitalism. Compared to America, Europe was able to retain more of its traditional Christian values and was able to modify capitalism with the influence of those values. European capitalism can be called utilitarian capitalism.
The Eastern countries have lost their culture and values to a lesser extent than the western countries. During my travels in the world, I noticed that depth of culture and traditional values increased as one travelled from west to east. Even in Europe one can easily see this difference between Western and Eastern Europe. We get an impression that level of capitalist induced dehumanization could be less in the East. One can hope that a joint leadership of Russia, China and India bring some changes to the present globalization so that it can become more receptive to human concerns rather than remain purely economic and mechanical. The present globalization is cold and calculative which needs to change.
Protectionism and imposing sanctions on other countries are manifestations of selfishness, greed, arrogance and vengeance of capitalist consumer culture. Russia, China and India have condemned protectionism and imposing punitive sanctions. All these countries have demanded changes in the present globalization to make it more fair and equal. These countries should join and lead the new globalization which is based upon principles of equality, justice and mutual respect. We cannot undo globalization but we can make it better for everybody.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
