Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

The centuries-old process of globalization – people in search of the best locations for their families, the best ideas for organizing daily life – has become an easy target in a more crowded world: workers fear factories and jobs relocating overseas, environmentalists worry about development shifted to countries with minimal enforcement, and savers fret about irresponsible spending and investment in other nations. Globalization’s opponents fear that the relentless quest for profits and pleasure hurts children, the poor and other vulnerable groups. The energy and resources spent on fighting the abstract and inevitable processes of globalization could be better directed in specific progressive endeavors to eliminate poverty and suffering, including education, health care, unions, retirement security and other programs designed for the common good, suggests Jagdish Bhagwati. Movement allows opportunity, prosperity and innovation, while restrictions historically deliver hardship and resentment. – YaleGlobal