With the massive rise in “foreign direct investment flows,” as addressed in James Harding’s article, it is clear that while Global economic entities are moving nearly 1 trillion dollars annually there is still no sign of their promises to benefit the poor, disenfranchised, and economically/socially immobile (497). In response a legitimate and well recognized anti-capitalism movement has presented itself at tables of discussion in nations like the US and Brazil who are becoming unsatisfied with the growing inequality and economic gap between the corporate elite who report ever-increasing revenues and profit margins and the aforementioned lower castes who continually suffer in an ever modernizing world. What then is the solution these dissidents of the status quo have to offer?
Here is what the major actors have agreed upon thus far: a resounding hatred of the WTO and IMF, pro-environmental sentiments, local and regional economic sovereignty, and a protest which is about “them, not us” all are key ethos (498). Instead of orienting around war or human rights violations, it is rather humans against the inhuman entities such as corporations which maintain their motives and behaviors regardless of which human actors serve as its vehicle. My main concern with this structure and ideology is that while the synthesis of many inherently anti-capitalism opposition groups may add leverage, voice, and economic sway to their agenda, it loses any true image of the future to work towards as Harding mentions (498). Simply reversing what is wrong presently doesn’t mean that these are the best nor lasting solutions to the problem that is globalization in a free-market international environment.
I believe it is important to recognize the importance of Walden Bello’s argument which presents the redistribution of power in the global market back into the regional and local levels where both producers, distributors, and consumers meet at a crossroads and agree upon favorable terms in each unique exchange. This is the only culturally-sensitive, fair, and constantly evolving system that could attempt to keep pace with changing values, agendas, and motives in an expanding and interconnected world.
