Who Screwed Up Globalization?

Activists who attend the World Social Forum in Africa look for ways to slow or even reverse some parts of globalization. The activists worry about common global problems that go unsolved – pollution, global warming, health risks, overpopulation – because no profits stem from tackling such issues. Favorite targets for activists’ wrath, since the first World Social Forum gathering in Porto Alegre are corporations, but that is shortsighted, argue political scientists Steven Weber and Ely Ratner. Nations are neglecting their responsibility to establish rules to protect their citizens. “If China and the US work together to develop rules for the next phase of globalization, the world 10 years from now could be not only a richer but also a safer, cleaner, more just and hopeful place to live,” write Weber and Ratner. “But if they work at cross-purposes, then corporate power will simply do what corporate power does best – generate profit at the expense of most other values.” – YaleGlobal