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Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Article “The impact of globalization on Islamic political identity: the case of Turkey” by Hasan Kosebalaban
Taken from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2393/is_1_168/ai_n15944529
This article gives rise to a number of queries, and misgivings about what globalisation is best at doing - opening up countries to the world. Does globalisation rob a country of its identity, equalizing every country into a uniform worldwide village? By opening up countries, will they be negatively or positively influenced by others? And also, will countries, like Islam, cherish what globalisation brings to them or instead, be ignorant about the endless possibilities globalisation offers and choosing instead to exploit it and let it go to waste like what Africa is doing at this very moment? Let’s hope that the former will occur instead.
Turkey was the first democratic Islam nation to be governed by a party rooted in Islam politics, and Islamic participation in politics is finally allowed, due to the international confidence gained by Islam while undergoing globalisation. Thanks to globalisation, east meets west as Turkey finally opens doors to trade in the west. Positive interaction between them has changed what bad impressions Islamists have of globalisation and the West, that globalisation is a battlefield for global politics and the West is a ferocious monster exploiting their countries. Now, globalisation has become a golden opportunity for interaction between the West and themselves, and this has led to increased domestic liberation, modernisation and Westernisation. Globalisation has also increased Turkey’s economic growth, and gone are the days in which Turkey is struggling by itself in poverty and unstable political turmoil. Globalisation has proved itself to be extremely useful in the case of Turkey. Turkey is beginning to accept a more open-minded view on politics regarding their country, and is indeed opening up to the West. In this case, Islamist governments have gained more confidence in presenting themselves politically, economically and socially on a global level. They fit in, having felt like they own a place in the world.
The eventual result of globalisation will be a “borderless” world, where countries are evidently exposed to the rest of the world, and their domestic social, economic and political problems are magnified under the critics of the world. With it comes political instability and conflicts, so much so that political turmoil ensues and establishes itself once again in Turkey. Islamists may be so much westernised that they are trying to think like the West, act, and govern like the West. Not all political maneuvers of the West bring about positive changes, and Turkey may find itself following in the footsteps of the West if it tries to mimic what the West is doing. The now stable political parties may generate tensions between themselves, if they are conflicted in both domestic and global decision making.
Is it also true that countries are losing their identities with increased globalisation and increasing invisible boundaries between countries? Globalisation has indeed made its point on erasing political boundaries in the world. But with it comes more open-mindedness on each countries politics, and one good example will be how Turkey has accepted Islamic participants in its politics when it is previously disapproved by the public and socially unacceptable. Also, globalisation exposes how countries govern themselves, and how their political problems are handled etc. How one’s politics are handled may influence another to do the same, and this results in a knock-on effect in which more and more countries do the same. Soon, politics will be uniformed globally and even the way a country does things may influence others to do the same. Will countries lose their individuality and become a “clone”, and reach a point in time where one is identical to many others? Of course, it is too early for tell-tale signs to show but this may be a great possibility in the future. Uniformity is already evident in our globalised world as mass-production takes place everyday and most of our possessions originate from there. I do hope that politics within countries will not reach the extent of uniformity throughout the world even with the blurring of boundaries.
Though opening up to the West may bring about optimistic economic and political turns, too much of it may only result in chaos and instability in the country. It will be best that Turkey knows what’s best for itself and decide wisely. We do not know what will happen in the future, but it is apparent that Turkey holds the key to greater political stability and economic growth if it makes use of globalisation wisely - to expand their boundaries and bring about greater growths in its economy and greater breakthroughs in politics.
Political expert,
Vanessa(:Labels: globalisation, Islam, politics
Globalised @ 8:07 PM
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Saturday, April 28, 2007
Article “Africa's Shady Politicians Are at Root of Continent's Destitution” by George Ayittey
Taken from http://www.aworldconnected.org/research/pubid.2839/ research_detail.asp REFLECTION
Look at Africa, already entangled in “steaming squalor, misery, deprivation, and chaos”, as quoted from the article. As if these weren’t enough, Africa is also too deeply sunk in poverty and members of the government are too busy enjoying themselves with the riches from globalisation and oppressing the people to even care about the situation. There’s recent proof that four out of ten Africans are barely surviving in absolute poverty, and sadly, this trend is increasing. This is credited to the corrupt politicians and other members which are part of the higher status in society, who use funds for their own purposes and do not include the welfare of the Africans in their agenda. Evidence from the UN reveals that more than $200 billion was looted by these members of the elite and NONE of this was used to salvage the poverty situation in Africa. What’s worse is that, the government refused to take the blame and instead, attributed the downfall of Africa to uncontrollable external factors: racism and discrimination from other countries, an international economic system unfavourable to them and insufficient foreign aid.
Though Africa is still lagging behind the world in terms of globalisation progression, it still benefits from globalisation - improving economy, increased food supplies and probably a better life. Unfortunately, its corrupt government chose to invest the money, not on profitable investments, but on the President’s largesse. Though globalisation has offered Africa a way out of its poverty, a salvation from its hellish days, but the government has practically wrecked this chance of rebirth. What globalisation has offered them-profits, wealth, higher living standards, better lives for their people, are wasted in the hands of those useless politicians. In a bid to pursue fame and wealth, political leaders toss aside the welfare of Africans and concentrate instead, on worthless matters concerning the black market and handing out rewards to their lapdogs. It is no wonder that Africa is quickly becoming the poorest country in the world, and with it comes starved Africans, a stagnant economy and a government deemed impractical and “useless” (though that is somewhat true). The government does not cherish the benefits of globalisation, and instead chose to exploit it.
On the other hand, the writer of the article chose to blame globalisation partially for Africa’s poverty. Globalisation has opened doors to the West, and being naïve politicians hungry for wealth, and more wealth, they put implicit trust in the West. Africans gradually got hooked onto food aids, imports and disaster relief aids, and when they were discarded by the West, they sunk into more poverty. Globalisation, indeed, does no good to the poor and it will be the total reverse if the country was wealthy. In an indirect way, globalisation has allowed Africa to fall prey to the West, in addition to its corrupt leaders who know next to nothing. If Africa never learns how to make full use of the benefits globalisation offers, and instead chooses to let itself sink into absolute despair, maybe it deserves poverty then. What Africa should do now is to welcome a growing economy and a qualified government. Only then can Africa pull itself out of poverty. Political Expert, Vanessa :D Labels: Africa, globalisation, politics
Globalised @ 10:15 PM
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Article "As Globalisation’s Benefits Grow, So Do Its Skeptics" by David Wessel
Taken from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=9005
REFLECTIONS
This article highlights the increased foreign relations of each country, and with it comes trade and its importance. The need to sustain this peace among countries is now greatly felt by most countries, examples from the article being the fact that Europe formed the European Union (EU) to prevent any more warfare on its continent, and US pursued trade in a bid to rid themselves of Russian influence during the Cold War.
Globalisation has opened up countries, introduced trade and made trade a fundamental necessity for economic growth and strong foreign relations. With the growth of trade come higher employment rates, higher living standards and a widening gap between the rich and poor, the capable and the less-skilled. As benefits coming from globalisation increase, more people are becoming skeptical towards this whole ideal of globalisation-where everything is now practiced at international level and everything, from trade to economy to the welfare of the people, is supposed to grow. Governments of many countries have long used globalisation as an excuse to ensure peace in their country, as a means to end wars. Take for example, how the USA ended the Cold War. Former President Bill Clinton ensured the former Soviet Union that the North America Free Trade Agreement will bring job opportunities to the people, and improve the economies both ways. This is not the case.
Though the governments are enjoying the various benefits of globalisation, increased employment of the people, improved foreign ties, prospering economy and a way to set the country rolling for rapid growth, those people not being able to upgrade themselves, lacking in capabilities are suffering. Also, a distinct gap between the rich and the poor has formed itself; while the rich are getting richer, the poor is forced further down into the trench and possessing no opportunity of self-salvation. Just imagine the rich using the poor as tools for them to get out of the trench, the rich being the government and large companies, monopolies, while the poor being the lower-skilled and older workers. Did the government ever stopped to consider the poor, or is globalisation just progressing too fast for anyone to take note of the poor and lower-skilled?
Like removing a veil from it, the cons of globalisation are finally uncovered and the effects felt. People are finally experiencing the inequality of globalisation, but what can the government do about it? To the government, the welfare of the country’s development is obviously more significant than the welfare of the poor. Without the latter, maybe globalisation may carry on without a hitch and the government can finally breathe easy.
Political Expert,
Vanessa.Labels: globalisation, politics
Globalised @ 7:49 PM
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