Comments on: End of Globalisation? http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/2008/10/22/end-of-globalisation/ Find news and analysis of globalisation's impacts on people & the planet and the prospects for fair and sustainable economies, from Global Trade Watch. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:57:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ruth Mac http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/2008/10/22/end-of-globalisation/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Ruth Mac Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:47:20 +0000 http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/?p=6#comment-5 After underpinning the international political economy for decades, the flaws and failings of neoliberalism are exposed as a deep and festering wound that no one can ignore. Yet the powerful beneficiaries of an ideology long promulgated against strong evidence to the contrary as irrefutable economic science by global institutions, top universities, think tanks and the media - all backed by transnational corporations with more wealth and clout than many nations - are using their considerable resources to revive the ailing patient. The end is not yet nigh. Clearly, however, as Americans line up to vote in unprecedented numbers and the world views the outcome in hopeful expectation, the time is ripe for what Naomi Klein is calling a progressive shock doctrine. Although we should not expect a counter-movement to flow top-down from a Democratic administration and presidency of Obama, whose top campaign contributor purportedly is Goldman Sachs and who has given little indication of significantly reducing the obscenely bloated military-industrial complex or veering too far from the neoliberal status quo, the campaign has energized progressives worldwide. The onus is on all of us who seek a better, more equitable and saner world to ensure that the strong momentum of grassroots efforts for change continues. After underpinning the international political economy for decades, the flaws and failings of neoliberalism are exposed as a deep and festering wound that no one can ignore. Yet the powerful beneficiaries of an ideology long promulgated against strong evidence to the contrary as irrefutable economic science by global institutions, top universities, think tanks and the media – all backed by transnational corporations with more wealth and clout than many nations – are using their considerable resources to revive the ailing patient. The end is not yet nigh. Clearly, however, as Americans line up to vote in unprecedented numbers and the world views the outcome in hopeful expectation, the time is ripe for what Naomi Klein is calling a progressive shock doctrine. Although we should not expect a counter-movement to flow top-down from a Democratic administration and presidency of Obama, whose top campaign contributor purportedly is Goldman Sachs and who has given little indication of significantly reducing the obscenely bloated military-industrial complex or veering too far from the neoliberal status quo, the campaign has energized progressives worldwide. The onus is on all of us who seek a better, more equitable and saner world to ensure that the strong momentum of grassroots efforts for change continues.

]]> By: Anne OB http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/2008/10/22/end-of-globalisation/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Anne OB Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:31:43 +0000 http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/?p=6#comment-4 Yeah. good work Mike. Sooner or later our crazy practice of externalising the risks to people 'out there' in the peripheral economies had to come back to haunt us. Madeleine Bunting sums up this well. Yet economic rationalism is hard to overcome when people most severely affected are far away and decisionmakers can dismiss them. Our economic system is a cost externalising machine: the vulnerable will again lose out before the reckless feel the pinch... How to bring the afflicted face to face with their afflictors? Yeah. good work Mike. Sooner or later our crazy practice of externalising the risks to people ‘out there’ in the peripheral economies had to come back to haunt us.
Madeleine Bunting sums up this well.

Yet economic rationalism is hard to overcome when people most severely affected are far away and decisionmakers can dismiss them. Our economic system is a cost externalising machine: the vulnerable will again lose out before the reckless feel the pinch… How to bring the afflicted face to face with their afflictors?

]]> By: Stacey Derbinshire http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/2008/10/22/end-of-globalisation/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Stacey Derbinshire Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:20:11 +0000 http://tradewatch.org.au/blog/?p=6#comment-3 I finally decided to write a comment on your blog. I just wanted to say good job. I really enjoy reading your posts. I finally decided to write a comment on your blog. I just wanted to say good job. I really enjoy reading your posts.

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