Investigating the winners and losers of globalisation

Investigating the winners and losers of globalisation Globalisation over the past hundred years has undoubtedly made the world more interconnected including closer societies, politics, economies, cultures and the environment. The world has seen all these dimensions influenced by the process of globalisation and the resultant winners and losers. Primarily, the economies of nations around the globe have experienced the most significant globalisation process, with the foundation of this dating back to the 14th century. The globalisation of economies has resulted in numerous winners including most western nations, some third world labourers and international institutions. There have also been many losers including most third world countries, the environment and ironically even most western countries. Thus, it can be said that the globalisation process of integrating nations economies has had both positive and negative effects on the world. The globalisation of nations economies has undeniably improved the lives of millions across the planet, in both developed and developing countries. Economic globalisation can be defined as the process associated with increasing economic openness, growing economic interdependence and deepening economic integration between countries in the world economy.  [1]  By far the major winner from this process has been the citizens and corporations of developed countries. This is due to many factors that have come to fruition in the later half of the twentieth century. Specifically, the roles of transnational corporations, global financial institutions and consumerism all have ties to economic globalisation. Transnational or multinational corporations are corporations that have a headquarters in one country and operate in several other countries. These have been influential in globalisation and have brought much wealth to developed countries. The largest transnational corporation in the wor ld currently is Wal-Mart Stores, with sales for 2003 reaching 256.33 billion dollars.  [2]  With a sales figure of this proportion, Wal-Mart took in more money than many developed nations total gross domestic product. Charles E. Wilson who was a Chairman of General Motors said Whats good for General Motors in good for the country.  [3]  This quote highlights the positive aspects of globalisation for developed countries as often when transnational corporations win so do developed countries. Despite the criticisms that surround transnational corporations, they have been directly investing in developing countries and with their expansion into these markets, have actually raised the standard of living in many third world countries. The fourth largest non-financial transnational corporation, Vodafone has a total 207,458 million dollars worth of assets, where a staggering 187,792 million of that is made up of foreign assets. This shows the corporations expansion into core and periphery countries, bringing technology, employment and higher standards of living. Another example of a transnational corporation creating winners with the globalisation process is McDonalds. This is a prime example of globalization in both the economic and cultural sense, with nearly 50 million people around the world being served daily. The primary economic winner in recent times from McDonalds globalisation process has been East Asia, as in 1975 when McDonalds opened it first restaurant in Hong Kon g, it brought with it a high standard of professional service and the first restaurant to continually offer a clean eating environment, which customers came to demand from all restaurants later.  [4]   Another lesser-known winner of the globalisation process, are the third world workers employed by transnational corporations. Although the western world sees sweatshops as immoral and unethical, the labourers who work in these places are often being paid a higher wage than most of their fellow citizens. In 2005 in Honduras a developing country, where sweatshops are commonplace, the average apparel worker earned $13.10 per day; this is compared to the 44% of the countrys population that live on less than $2 per day.  [5]  This means through the economic globalisation process and cross border corporations, workers in developing countries have the opportunities to survive and beat the poverty cycle. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have both actively been helping the developing countries. This has been occurring through loans, economic re-development and economic management. Both these institutions have played major roles in the economic assistance of developing countries over the past fifty years. A recent example is the World Bank implementing policies to help eradicate poverty through achieving universal primary education for all children. In 2006 a report showed that the United Nations and World Bank invested heavily in government schools in Ethiopia, as a result primary enrolment more than doubled from 22% in 1990 to 47% in 2004.  [6]  The globalisation of economies has resulted in many winners from the developed nations while also improving improved the standard of living in many developing nations. While there have been many winners from economic globalisation, there have also been and will continue to be many losers. The primary loser from globalisation has been the developing countries, who have supplied the labour and raw material necessary to fuel globalisation. In many third world countries, globalisation has had the negative effect of creating sweatshops, where workers are paid low wages to do hard manual labour in often poor conditions. These sweatshops are run by transnational corporations, that have the aim of minimising costs by taking advantage of the relaxed labour laws often in developing countries. An example of a transnational corporation that uses sweatshops is Nike, as its shoes are made in many Asian countries at a low cost and then sold in western countries for a profit. After the goods are sold and the wages paid, the transnational corporations take any profit made back to their headquarters or home country. This leaves the developing countries in poverty as the workers are being exploited for a minimal wage while the country sees very little of the profits. Another, problem associated with economic globalisation, is that citizens of developing countries are leaving their countries in order to achieve higher education, better job prospects and generally higher standards of living. This problem is called the brain drain and has significant economic implications for the countries involved. In the African nation of Ghana, an estimated 68 percent of all trained medical staff left the country between 1993 and 2000.  [7]  A large majority of developing countries are experiencing the brain drain problem and it is further fueling the poverty cycle, in which globalisation is playing a negative role. However, not only are the developing countries affected by economic globalisation, the developed countries that are often at the centre of globalisation also experience problems. A major loser that has resulted from the integration of economies specifically in times of economic downturn has been all economies, including both developing and developed. This is caused by the increasing integration and interconnectedness of economies all over the world, a problem arises when one nations economy goes into downturn and then due to the integration causes others to go into downturn also. The most recent examples of where this has occurred was the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. In both these situations, a crisis in one countrys economy, which was closely interlinked to the world economy, caused severe economic repercussions throughout the world. A subprime lending crisis in the US housing market eventually blew up to trigger the single largest eco nomic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The effects of this crisis are still being felt around the world today, with trillions of dollars being wiped off share markets, banking institutions collapsing and huge national debts. The problem associated with the integration of nations economies will be an ever present problem as economic globalisation increases in the future. It can be seen that the primary losers from economic development are developing countries; however, developed countries can also be losers. Another significant loser from economic globalisation is the environment; this problem affects all countries on the planet and has been getting worse over time. The environment has been abused and neglected since the beginning of the industrial revolution and today is currently at a precipice. Developed countries are the worst offender when it comes to the abuse of the environment. In recent times, the economies of China, India, Russia and Brazil have started rivaling the world powerhouse economies of America and Europe in terms of carbon dioxide pollution and environmental degradation. The primary environmental concern of recent has been the effects of increased carbon dioxide emissions and the effects on the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The resultant effect of a buildup in greenhouse gases will have serious problems for everyone including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, polluted oxygen and many more problems  [8]  . These problems have ties to economi c globalisation; this is due to many developed countries and transnational companies using limited resources and resultant pollution. Economic globalisation has been the driving force for sustained economic growth in both developed and developing countries. Along with this the need of transnational corporations to gain greater profits and expand into new markets has further increased the consumption of scarce resources and increased emissions. This is evident by the fact that developed countries are some of the worst polluters with America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand the top four emitters of carbon dioxide per capita and population in 2000.  [9]  However, developing countries are also increasing their emissions and speeding up their depletion of natural resources. In Brazil between 1978 and 1988, annual rainforest clearance rose from 78,000km squared a year to 230,000km squared.  [10]  The Amazon rainforest is considered the lungs of the earth and provide the vital ta sk of helping to remove pollution from the atmosphere. This means that the increasing economic globalisation has continued to assist developed countries achieve higher levels of consumerism and has helped developing countries achieve record levels of economic growth, which has actually had a very negative effect on the environment. This negative effect means that both developed countries and developing countries are both losers as globalisation makes it mark on the earths environment. There are positive aspects of globalisation as seen in developed countries, also now many developing countries are to some degree enjoying the benefits. In saying that, developing countries are still being generally exploited by transnational corporations and the developed world. Similarly, the planets environment is still being expended at a faster rate than it is being replenished or replaced and will surely cause problems for future generations. Therefore, if changes are not made to the mode and medium of economic globalisation, the costs will soon outweigh the benefits.

Social Conditioning of Boys Essay -- Papers Stereotypes Role Essays

Social Conditioning of Boys As everyone knows, within the human race there are males and there are females. We all figure out what our gender identity is at a young age. For boys, male toys like building blocks and trucks and sports like baseball and soccer help a boy form into what society considers to be a man. Society believes that boys should grow up to be strong, dependant and bread winning in order to be a real man. These social standards that are expected from boys, can also be explained by social roles. We are cast into social roles at the moment we are born. These social roles construct boys to be a certain way and follow the set boy code. Boy’s are taught to stay clear from emotional openness, vulnerability, and dependance. We are also taught to not let others know when we feel scared , depressed or when we are happy and in love. The most important rule altogether for boys, is to stay away from anything that people think of as being feminine. Society has made it clear that in order to be a ‘real man’, you must be a leader, successful, in control, confident, d...

China One Child Policy Essay

Imagine a world where one can’t just simply go to the supermarket because there is not enough food. A world where pollution is a daily reality, the air too thick to even breath and the water virtually undrinkable. A place you can no longer buy consumer goods because there isn’t enough materials to make them. This could become a reality, but preventing it has always been on the minds of the Chinese government. War and epidemics had struck China for years, but after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, sanitation and medicine improved and prompted rapid population growth. This combined with the movement created by Mao Zedong, China’s previous communist leader, led to rapid population growth that gave China’s monumental population. This monumental mistake took its toll in the food supply when Mao emphasized steel production over farming, food supply slipped behind population growth; by 1962 a massive famine had caused some 30 million deaths. After the population leveled off, the government continued the camping to reduce China’s population. In 1979 the Chinese government introduced a policy requiring couples from China’s ethnic Han majority to have only one child. Depending on where they lived parents can be fined thousand of dollars for having an extra child without a permit and can be forced to abort the child and then be sterilized. With all this in mind I not only believe that the one child policy with some adjustments can be a good solution to the overpopulation and issues related to it but also it is a necessary policy. With changes to the policy will greatly improve China’s people living environment and standards. Without this policy we can face serious issues concerning food supplies, depletion of natural resources at a rapid rate, poverty,spreading of diseases due to lack of proper medical care, overcrowded cities that can lead to heavy pollution, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy and higher death rates, educational facilities may not meet the population requirements,and finally lower employment opportunities that lead to unequal distribution of wealth. All of this could become a reality without the proper population control provided by the policy. Society a highly structured system of human organization for large-scale community living that normally furnishes protection, continuity, security, and a national identity. Some essential things that are required for the flourishment of a society are essentials such as food and water. This are non debatable requirements for cities to rise, survive and thrive. Over population can bring many obstacles and difficulties that could impede us from thriving as a society. Some include heavy pollution that is caused by factories that are needed to meet the demands of the big population. This pollution can be precipitated into the water sources can lead to the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoids. Although higher population number will produce more food the earth can only support so much. Even with genetically modified (GMC’s) the land can only be used so much before it runs put of nutrients and then become useless. The overuse of the land will lead to soil erosion from trying to meet the food demands of a huge population. Air pollution can cause the spread of diseases such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, heart disease and even diabetes. This will lead to millions of death and could potentially wipe out entire populations and cause poor living conditions. The lack of proper medical care will be one of many factors also contributing to the decline of living standards and lower living expectancies which means higher death rates. Thomas Malthus wrote theories that predicted living conditions over many centuries. He stated that over population will cause more disadvantages that will outweigh the advantages. Some might said that in his theory he didn’t take into account the advances in technology that is essential to the prosperity of a country. I don’t argue that Malthus may not have taken that into account but it still doesn’t change the fact that earth has a finite carrying capacity. No matter how technology progresses or gets better it will be limited by the resources that we can get. Resources are limited. Technology could provide ways of using this resources more efficiently but no matter what we do it will always lead to the depletion because of higher demand caused by overpopulation. Although technology can solve many of our problems it has a great limitation. That limitation is us. The overcrowding of cities may lead to educational facilities not being able to provide the proper learning environment and fail to teach the population. This will cause high levels kids falling behind and not be able to contribute and move on to high level jobs in science, math or engineering which will slow down the rate of progression in technology, and without it we won’t be able to meet the demands of a large population. Over population can cause lower employment opportunities that will leave many families in poverty. This will cause and uneven distribution of wealth that can cause the crime rate to go higher. Less jobs means the economy would be very limited or there will be a lot of jobs but minimum wage jobs. Families would be forced to sends their children to work so they can help support the family instead of sending them to school. With a smaller population more high level jobs can be given and more money means better standard of living and high life expectancy levels. Wealth can provide many things such as medical care, adequate housing,etc. All of this can be avoided with population control policies such as the one child policy. There is a lot of disadvantages that can cause a disastrous future. So we need to ask ourselves if that will be a life wen want to live in. The answer will always come down to no. The one child policy has harsh effects that are controversial. The forced sterilization and abortion of women is one of the horrid realities that the policy makes possible. But this doesn’t change the fact that the policy is a necessity. I completely agree that this must be change. New regulations can be put into place that are more passive and more widely accepted by the majority. The one child policy is a necessity that helps our society in many ways. The advantages of having this policy far outweigh the disadvantages. It keeps China’s prosperity and encourages great economic wealth and progression. So I urge you to consider all of the points made and see that the one child policy is not only a smart choice but also a great one.

Criminal proceedings against Kolpinghuis Nijmegen - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1605 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Research paper Tags: Crime Essay Did you like this example? Brief : 194325 Delivery Date : 29 March 2007 Title: Download a case from the Europa website. Find the ECJ judgment for criminal proceedings against Kolpinghuis Nijmegen BV 80/86. Based upon this download of the judgment, answer all of the following questions. ANSWER Source: Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 8 October 1987. Criminal proceedings against Kolpinghuis Nijmegen BV. Reference for a preliminary ruling: Arrondissementsrechtbank Arnhem Netherlands. Case 80/86. European Court reports 1987 Page 03969 A. In no more than 100 words summarise the material facts of this case. A Netherlands company was prosecuted for selling a drink consisting of tap-water and carbon dioxide which it called mineral water. The company was charged with infringing a national law banning the sale of goods of improper composition. Directive 80/777, which stipulates that member states ensure that only water acknowledged by a relevant authority as natural mineral water meeting the Directiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s specifications are marketed as natural mineral water was cited by the prosecutor. Directive 80/777 required national transposition by July 1984. The alleged crime at issue was committed in August 1984. The applicable Dutch law was not amended until August 1985. (100 words total) Reference: Judgment paras 2 and 3. B. Which court did this case commence in, who brought the action, and who was the defendant? This criminal case was commenced at the Arrondissementsrechtbank (District Court) at Arnhem in The Netherlands. The action was instigated by the local public prosecutor, the Officier van Justitie. The Dutch undertaking Kolpinghuis Nijmegen BV was the defendant in the action. Reference: Judgment Headnote C. Identify the party/body who/which referred this case to the European Court of Justice, and, identify the procedure by which this was done. It was the Arrondissementsrechtbank (District Court) at Arnhem that referred this case to the European Court of Justice under Article 177 of the Treaty of Rome (which is now set out in Article 234 of the Treaty as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam). The reference was made to obtain a preliminary ruling on the extent of Directive 80/777 in the criminal proceedings pending before the District Court against Kolpinghuis Nijmegen BV. The Article 177 (now 234) procedure is known as the preliminary ruling procedure. Such rulings provide national courts with guidance on the interpretation of EU law and are so called because they are used to inform the final ruling, which is delivered by the national court itself. Reference: Judgment Headnote D. Identify the parties which intervened in the present case. The following parties all saw fit to intervene in the case by way of submitted observations: the Netherlands state, the United Kingdom, the Italian Government, and the Commission of the European Communities. Refe rence: Judgment Headnote E. With reference to the European Court of Justices ruling explain why Directive 80/777 itself could not have been enforced against the defendant in your own words, . Direct effect is subject to a major restriction. So-called vertical direct effect, which involves an action by a private party against the state, is deemed permissible and effective, but what is known as horizontal direct effect, which describes an action between two private parties, is not supported by the doctrine. The reason for this distinction is that the obligation to transpose Directives effectively, accurately and in a timely manner is exclusively imposed on the member state itself.. A failure to implement properly thus constitutes a breach of the member stateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Treaty obligations. The European Court of Justice confirmed the scope of the doctrine of direct effect in this case and cited the very well known case of Marshall v South-West Hampshire Area Hea lth Authority (1986) ECR 723, which emphasised the point that vertical direct effect (against the state) is allowed but that horizontal direct effect (where a suit lies against a private individual) is not viable. The Court in the present action endorsed the Marshall line without equivocation and ruled that it followed that Directive 80/777 could not per se create law applicable to the defendant undertaking and that as a consequence the provisions of Directive 80/777 could not be founded on as such in any criminal proceedings against the defendant undertaking before the national court in question. Reference: Judgment paras 6 to 10. F. With reference to the European Court of Justices ruling explain the reasoning why, in general, a national court is required to interpret national law to conform with an EC Directive. The first point to confirm is that all forms of binding EU law are supreme over all forms of national law. The principle of the sovereignty of EU law over the domestic laws of the member states is very well established: foundation authorities for the rule include Costa v ENEL (1964) ECR 585 and Van Gend en Loos (1963) ECR 1.. In the present case the Court of Justice cited Von Colson and Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (1984) ECR 1891 and ruled that the member statesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ duty to accomplish the objectives entailed in the Directive and their obligation under Article 5 of the Treaty to take all proper steps, whether general or particular, to guarantee the fulfilment of that obligation, is binding on all the authorities of member states including the national courts in relation to matters within their jurisdiction.. As a result the Court in the present case found that, in interpreting and applying the national law and in particular the provisions of a national law introduced so as to transpose the objectives of a Directive, the national court must read the national law with a view to finding, where possible, conformi ty with the purpose and content of the Directive. The Court confirmed that this was necessary so as to satisfy the relevant duty contained in Article 189 of the Treaty of Rome. Reference: Judgment para 12. G. With reference to the ruling identify in which situation the general requirement as stated above in Q.F would not be applicable. It was held by the Court of Justice that the duty imposed on the national court to refer to a Directiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s content when interpreting and applying the pertinent laws of its national legal system is restricted by the general principles of EU law and specifically the principles of non-retroactivity and legal certainty. In the case Pretore de Salo (1987) 1 CMLR 108 the European Court found that a Directive cannot, per se have the effect of imposing criminal liability or aggravating the criminal liability of an individual who acts in breach of its provisions independently of a national law adopted by a member state for the implementation of the Directive.. Reference: Judgment para 13. H. Explain why the European Court of Justice did not consider if there had been an infringement of Article 2 of the Keuringsverordening (Inspection Regulation). This was simply not a matter for the European Court. The European Court of Justice does not have jurisdiction over the matter of the infringement of Article 2 of the Keuringsverordening, because that is exclusively a question of Dutch law for the Dutch Courts. It has no bearing on or relation to EU law, which is the European Courtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sole province. The Article 177 (now Article 234) preliminary ruling process empowers the European Court only to interpret EU law. It does so to provide guidance to the referring party on questions of EU law so that the referring party can apply the EU law accurately and with confidence when it makes the final ruling in a case.. The Article 234 procedure does not give the European Court the freedom to rule on the application shape or form of national law. Reference: Treaty of Rome Article 234(1) I. Supposing that a private company, Volga Water Ltd, was prosecuted by the officer Van Justitie for the exact same violation as Kolpinghuis but in its case the violation took place on the 9th August 1985. Explain to what extent, if at all, the indirect effect principle could apply? Under this scenario Volga Water Ltd have allegedly committed an offence the day after the transposition of Directive 80/777 into Dutch law. Presuming the transposition has been effective there should be no need for the application of the indirect effect principle set out in cases such as Von Colson and Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (as cited). If the domestic law now faithfully reflects the content, tone and goals of the Directive then the Directive has done its job and EU law can be properly and accurately applied merely by relying on the new or amended Dutch law in question.. If the n ew or amended Dutch law does not properly transpose the Directive then it could be possible to invoke the doctrine of indirect effect as set down in Von Colson. In Marleasing [1992] 1 CMLR 305 the Court of Justice reaffirmed the Von Colson line that national courts must as far as possible interpret national law in the light or the wording and purpose of the Directive in order to achieve the result intended by the Directive, although it reiterated the Marshall view that a Directive cannot impose obligations on private parties per se. It is submitted that the present case of Kolpinghuis Nijmegen confirms that where an interpretation of domestic law would run counter to the legitimate expectations of private individuals then the Von Colson principle will not apply. Therefore the application of the doctrine of indirect effect would be limited in this criminal context and it would be necessary to ascertain further particulars as to the precise nature of the implementation that has tak en place in order to be able to offer more specific advice in this regard. Europa Case Reference: https://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoclg=ennumdoc=61986J0080 THE END GLOBAL DOCUMENT WORD COUNT : 1626 words EXACT COUNT FOR ANSWER ONLY : 1520 words No footnotes or bibliography as per client request. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Criminal proceedings against Kolpinghuis Nijmegen" essay for you Create order