Our House of Cards

Most critics of globalization point to the suffering of workers, the ordeals of displacement, or the brutality of poverty that it causes. Others, like Barry Lynn, former editor of Global Business, shirk such conventional leftist rhetoric. In his book, "End of the Line: The Rise and Coming Fall of the Global Corporation," Lynn sketches the demise of the prevailing economic order in its own terms. What makes globalization work, he argues, is precisely what will cause its eventual downfall. In his assessment, global interdependence is more a liability than a strength. The best-run companies no longer produce anything, but instead specialize in logistics and supply-chain management – and because of the many layers separating corporate executive from product, crucial details often fall through the cracks. According to this Salon.com review, "Calculating risk, says Lynn, is no longer a priority for the modern corporation. That's left to contractors in other nations." As a result, fluctuations at one end of the supply chain can unhinge the entire system. Lynn claims that by ripping open national borders, multinationals have made the US beholden to forces well outside its control. – YaleGlobal