I'm inclined to wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. The problem though is "globalization" has come to encompass a number of other issues that aren't directly related to its fundamental sociological dynamic.
Libertarians run from "globalization" or "globalism" becuase they see it as the first signs of the Brave New World, conservatives and conspiratorialists see it as a leftist/elitist plot to enslave the world to collectivist ideology, and then there's the whole American Empire bit that AGF mentions, plus the "globalization"/globalism of multinational corporate monopolies ...
This discussion is important for one major reason if not others. It should drive home to us the importance of seeing the term gets defined and conceptually framed in the right way. How should we consider globalization correctly? Look to AGF's model. And, how should we be re-defining these concepts that get lumped under "globalization"/ globalism? ... These are the key questions we are considering, and I have to say, really, doing a fairly good job to answer.
Let's do a better job, though. Eventually we'll have to promulgate these better distinctions and ideas to the wider public; but mostly, what we must do now is define specifically the difference within "globalization" of political agency, economic interests (today's geo-corporate climate at the hands of multinationals), and cultural concerns and mostly to distinguish the former from the "is" of the sociological and economic process of global integration itself; only then will we be cleared of the confusion that comes when this matter is talked about.
So, now, I'll step back again and get people's perspectives on my notions here. Looking forward to your thoughts. Best!
Luke Rondinaro
Andre Gunder Frank <franka@fiu.edu> wrote:
i dont understand this unn-ending discussion about the
meaning of globalization. it seems almost self-evident that the present globalization under disucssion is no more than a euphomism for Americanization and that otherwise the world had been globalized since 1492 and in Afro-Eurasia for millennia before that
gunder frank
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ANDRE GUNDER FRANK
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