Globalization criticism is a comprehensive term for the requests of international movements, which primarily against the neoliberale form of the economic globalization and their consequences within economic, social and cultural ranges is directed.

In media every now and then the designation globalization opponent is used. Most active ones of the movement reject this name and call themselves as globalization critics, since they do not occur against any globalization, but for another globalization (therefore also French altermondialisation and English old globalization of older = differently).

Theses

For the 1990er years, in the consequence of the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the end of the cold war, take place in the world economics ever more changes, the one intensification of the global networks of communication and the circulation of capital (foreign direct investments, ADI), goods and services mean. The beginning of the globalization criticism is that the globalization comes in their current form only the industrialized countries to property (e.g. see the development the term OF trade, DEAD, or which positions of the "Dependency Theorists"), the developing countries into dependence and poverty continues to drive and its rights of self-determination limits (see structural adjustment programs (SAP) and SAP conditions).

The differentiation to "countries" as analytic category seizes here naturally too briefly, because in each country of this earth it gives humans, who profit from the phenomena summarized under globalization or also Neoliberalismus or from it suffer. It is formulated exaggerated that states are artificial things, ever more with difficulty to partition ever more clearly leaves itself by the problems, which are released by behaviors of humans in them, as for instance consumption or way of life, with.

Another point of criticism are the consequences of the intensified competitive situation accompanying with the globalization of the markets, in which the national economies are world-wide. It is criticized that one does not help to countries with less trained social systems to improve the situation but - on the contrary - the social achievements (health and training system, industrial law, minimum wages, pension safety device, protection from Kinderarbeit, women's rights etc.) world-wide with arguments like "competitive power" or "reorganization of the national budget" are reduced.

The form of the world trade practiced at present requires the unrestricted protection of the property. Rules to the protection or for the activation of creation of value chains and innovations are not intended, on the contrary often even explicitly forbidden. It is misjudged that the protection of property is contrary in many cases to latter goals. A classical example are the flower farms of central and South America, which obtain a good capital net yield, but make less humans living costs possible, than the previous kleinteilige agriculture. The innovation hostileness of the unrestricted protection of property can be observed particularly with the business model protection and with the abuse of the patent protection. The owners of such rights do not have interest in the advancement of their ideas through third, since then the portion of their patent right of the total product becomes smaller. With a reached maximum-carry on the market meant this that the owner of the origin rights would have to accept losses, in order to make the development possible from dependent innovations to.

Also the question is controversially discussed whether and if in which way, which unionized organization forms - which are oriented to that national, every now and then regionally, aligned interests of their members and contribution payers - in an internationally changed and "dynamically" far developing "global" division of labor still up-to-date are. In France and Italy the left-alternative basis trade unions developed since end of the 1980er years engage themselves strongly in the globalization-critical motion.

Important groups, which understand themselves as part of this movement, plead therefore for an international action framework of all States of (e.g. a uniform taxation int. Flows of capital by a so-called "rave-in-expensively", whose effectiveness is disputed among political economists however), the social of minimum standard secures and the rights of self-determination of the peoples guaranteed. In particular it recruits for a change of international trade agreements and institutions such as World Bank and IWF to favour of the developing countries. It is demanded that the credit-giving institutes take their editions back, in order to make for the developing countries possible an economic independence. Dependence leads to forceful stress of the export, whereby a nationally controllable economic policy is prevented.

History

Origins

The globalization criticism developed toward end of the 1990er years in different motion. In Latin America the rebellion of the Zapatistas referred directly in January 1994 to the entry into force North American free trade agreement (NAFTA). The Zapatistas organized the first global cross-linking meetings with the so-called intergalactic Encuentros (meetings) also. In many former colonies different social movements regard the fights against the global agreements and institutions as continuation of the fights against the colonial gentlemen (see Neokolonialismus).

Into Europe and North America this movement can be attributed to different parts of the new social movements in particular the third world/a world movement and the trade unions. The protests obtained much attention here particularly by new action forms, which were inspired by groups such as Reclaim the Streets in Grossbritamnien and the Direct Action network in Seattle.

Summit protests

Although it already came on the occasion of the G8-Gipfels 1998 into Cologne to so-called "global action days" in more than 40 different countries, as birth the protests are often seen on the occasion of the World Trade Organization conference of ministers 1999 in Seattle. By numerous demonstrations, road blockades and road battles ("Battle OF Seattle") there the opening meeting of the summit before an empty hall took place. The police reacted to the successful blockades with substantial use of pepper spray and batons. Reports, photos and videos were collected for the first time by Indymedia and placed in Internet.

A number of further protests and Gegengipfel followed with international large events: The meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Prague had to be broken off due to disobedience and road battles and also the World Bank summit shifted civilian of various actions due to the security situation from Barcelona to Washington DC by protests was accompanied.

After first sharp shots on demonstrators with the European Union summit in those demanded far escalating force with the G8-Gipfel in Genova with Carlo Giuliani the first dead one. The Italian police reached through altogether extremely brutal against the globalization critics, let a large number arrest and brought many demonstrators in the Bolzaneto prison, where these were also tortured. (see also Bolzaneto process).

Social forums

Even if the protests with international large events persist beside these and the associated Gegengipfeln with the social forums a further global support leg of the movement developed. On the basis of the world social forum in postage Alegre developed themselves these further first on continental level (European social forum) and then on regional and local level. The movement is considered as contentwise various. The emphasis is on a "socially fair globalization" as well as with "human rights" (especially "women's rights") and ecological topics. These topics appear also in the social forums.

Criticism

Some critics of the globalization criticism see a method capitalism criticizing by the fragmentation into "good" productive capital and "bad" capital in the financial capital, without criticizing capitalism to and for itself. Not capitalism is the excrescence, but the Neoliberalismus.

Against the Fokusierung of the globalization criticism on the economic dimension among other things the German sociologists Ulrich Beck expresses itself, which calls and criticizes this viewpoint "globalism ".

Marchart criticizes the globalization critics the fact that they go not far enough but in economic thinking to be remains. It justifies this with the fact that the globalization critics do not make a new beginning in the sense of Hannah Arendt. It appoints itself thereby to Augustinus: "With it a beginning is, humans was created, before whom there was nobody. "(Marchart, P. 31) if globalization criticism in an area of the Alternativlosigkeit takes place like neoliberale Margaret Thatcher it in its utterance - "There is NO alternative "- clearly expresses, "then it could concern only questions either of the more efficient or somewhat fairer administration - in the long run around better globalization management. "(P. 95) thereby one is in a discourse itself in the old, past framework moved, which is completely apolitisch however in the sense of Arendt. Politics must think in the realm of the liberty, to which on a new and thus completely unknown beginning is based.

Articles in category "Globalization criticism"

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