The Domino Effect with regards to Globalization

Both Strange’s article and Mittelman’s article articulate the ways that globalization has launched away from its sources of power.   These articles, when read together, describe a vicious circle that globalization has created.  According to Mittelman, technology increases and aids the amount of transnational crime.  This criminal behavior is made possible by people in roles of authority.  He states that “the smuggling operations would not be possible, however, without the involvement of powerful and wealthy criminal, who have the resources to corrupt state officials” (227).  This creates a tiny circle of reactions: globalization advances technology which aids in criminal behavior which in turn creates corrupt authorities.  In Strange’s article, she describes how the state’s authority diminishes as globalization gives people and large groups more power and control.  Part of the reason that the state’s authority has diminished over time is because “people no longer believe them” (219).  When we connect this argument with Mittelman’s argument, a much larger circle is created.  Because of globalization, technology has advanced; technology aids in transnational crime; transnational crime corrupts those in roles of authority; the corruption of authority loosens the people’s trust in its promises; people decide to take more ownership of societies and economies; the people gain the authority.  Tying these two articles together creates a very interesting web of events that eventually leads to “the declining authority of states” (219).