PHILOSOPHIES IN A PARADOX
With Donald Trump trying to recreate GoT in real life, I sometimes wonder whether he is an ardent fan of Rahul Dravid. Either way, economists today are pushed into a downward spiral with current events in USA and epiphenomena in Eurozone which has lambasted the fundamentals of globalization for one more time and hopefully not for one last time. When communalism was brought down along with Berlin wall in 1991, many countries concluded that their only saviour has to be globalization and industrialization. The west is the best and its best for the rest to follow the west, as policymakers never had any cogitation towards alternative economic models other/better than globalization. But this is facing more of a dire anti-climax in recent years as we may well see the denouement of globalization. In fact, not far down the line, we will witness governments pretending to practice globalization on a surface level only.
Globalization means, “The process by which businesses develop international influence and start operating on an international scale”. But the ground reality is “Globalization is feeding America for its own expansion and when America falls, they bring the whole world down”. Like a butterfly effect, in 2008 someone residing in Sydney leading a content life with happy family lost his job because of someone’s greed in the USA to build condos by availing loans in his dog’s name. By that time, we should have realized that globalization is nothing but a cyclical trap of growth at its peak and recession at its worst (except for America), as any country at any point of time depends on some other country, who are depending on every other country. There can never be a common economic model for all the countries, as each country has the burden of their own cultural & ethnic history with geographical gifts.
With a crisis of self-identity becoming the biggest shortcoming in this globalized economy, branding a nation is an important job for any country. Not many identify America as a colonized nation who exchanged weapons for gold during the second world war but as a country of Coke, Mickey Mouse, McDonald's, KFC, Google and Microsoft which has created a mirage that America is the greatest nation in history. Similar was the case in India. Until Smiling Buddha was detonated in 1998, we did not have a strong international outlook. Soft power alone cannot exist without a backing up of hard power, else a country will be tagged as an impotent nation. The best example is Japan.
No doubt many countries today cannot match the technological advancement of America and we may even find pride that millions of Indians have contributed to it, but that doesn’t mean we should follow them blindly to reach the pinnacles. It is high time we recognize the difference between Globalization with Americanization. At times I wonder how European settlers, who massacred aborigines, having no obligation towards American patriotism, have successfully influenced the whole world in the name of America itself? What we are practising today is Americanized way of life assuming that this will lead us to amelioration. Right from clothing, Americanization has already entered our kitchen through our ignorance. It is just like a tiger thinking that it can lead a long life like a turtle and jumping into unknown waters.
Like every individual, even countries have their own identity. But globalized etiquette has masked a shame on any culture that isn’t American. India and China have revolved around as world economic superpower till 1700AD. (from 1AD to 1750AD 50-60% of world GDP came from these two countries). But after the intervention of imperialism, we completely lost the track. Once manufacturing, economic, agricultural and a cultural superpower have turned into a feeder for the manpower to the developed world.
Why am I saying all these? Because globalization, even though started for a great cause for humanity is turning out to be a parasite. You may still question me that globalization is the reason for electronic, space and industrial and medical revolution. No! We would still have witness these even without globalization that is being practised today. Exchanging of goods has always been persistent throughout our history and we can’t argue upon the fact that only globalization has brought forth this phenomenon. Globalization has only increased wealth inequality. Nothing else.
As the Trump saga catching up the pace, even if he doesn’t last for the next term, I believe that his policies cannot be negated by his successor. I predict Americanizing America for the Americans has to be the moto for their future. As my father always says, “Know your family and geographical history and half of your life’s journey is complete”.
I would like to conclude saying Its Individualization and not globalization, is the solution for this. With the geographical gift from our mother nature, we’ve the potential to sculpt India into both agricultural and manufacturing superpower. We can no longer blame the education system for our incomprehension and with the world of internet at our tips, we can either educate ourselves about ourselves, or we can also choose not to do so and enjoy the current state. But imagine the next generations growing without knowing our embellished past. The decision lies in our hands.
