Ideally globalisation is about the close integration of countries and people of the world. It allows countries to share and learn about each other's culture. There is also the breakdown of trade barriers (a component of neoliberalism), allowing countries to trade their produce freely. Additionally there are advances in technology, especially Information Technology (IT).
However when we compare the economy of capitalist, elite countries to those of thirdworld countries, I'm often left with the opinion that these elite countries take great advantage of thirdworld countries. They force their culture, beliefs and expertise on the lesser developed countries in an attempt to assist them but in most cases leaving the lesser developed country at a disadvantage.
Do you think the disadvantages exceeds the advantages or vice versa?From a Caribbean perspective do you think that caribbean countries need to be more integrative to be able to achieve a more competitive edge as relates to trade?
Yes it does. It has a huge negative impact on the environment, on small businesses and well I can say culture but I won't because in my opinion we are on the brink of having none in the first place. When people ask about the culture of Trinidad we speak of Carnival (and all that goes with it, Pan, Calypso, Soca, Masquerade etc) and if that is the sum total of our culture then basically we lack one. WE HAVE INTEGRATED ENOUGH, we boast about our diversity and we are like a sponge that sucks every fancy that floats into our shores until we now have to ask ourselves where are we and how did we get here? Trinidad and Tobago is a buzzing hub in the Caribbean, what more competitive edge do we want? Did we ever have the edge in the first place? We have been bankrupt since 1986, our own resources we do not have the majority of shares so we cannot even call them our own. Since then globalization has presented itself in many forms and we have willingly invited them in an an attempt to save the economy. Gas,oil,fuel and the rest of the energy sector is what we have always benefited from until it gave way to trade deficit. Some innovative solutions proposed by our Minister was to promote our non-energy sector. I applaud this but I feel things could still get worse b trying to put a plaster on such a big gash.
While this is a very good idea it can never happen. Can you remember the Federation of ten British West Indian territories formed in 1958? Jamaica opted to pull out in fear that it would have to shoulder the burdens of the economically underdeveloped members.Trinidad and Tobago followed soon after and the federation was dissolved. How can the less developed countries attain a developed status? The core/developed nations cooperate with one another to say in power and one must not forget that the international system prevents countries from developing because they do not promote development. The system is designed to prevent them from development and that is what the dependency theorists termed as underdevelopment. C. Samuel
Ideally globalisation is about the close integration of countries and people of the world. It allows countries to share and learn about each other's culture. There is also the breakdown of trade barriers (a component of neoliberalism), allowing countries to trade their produce freely. Additionally there are advances in technology, especially Information Technology (IT).
ReplyDeleteHowever when we compare the economy of capitalist, elite countries to those of thirdworld countries, I'm often left with the opinion that these elite countries take great advantage of thirdworld countries. They force their culture, beliefs and expertise on the lesser developed countries in an attempt to assist them but in most cases leaving the lesser developed country at a disadvantage.
S. Lawrence
Do you think the disadvantages exceeds the advantages or vice versa?From a Caribbean perspective do you think that caribbean countries need to be more integrative to be able to achieve a more competitive edge as relates to trade?
ReplyDeleteYes it does. It has a huge negative impact on the environment, on small businesses and well I can say culture but I won't because in my opinion we are on the brink of having none in the first place. When people ask about the culture of Trinidad we speak of Carnival (and all that goes with it, Pan, Calypso, Soca, Masquerade etc) and if that is the sum total of our culture then basically we lack one. WE HAVE INTEGRATED ENOUGH, we boast about our diversity and we are like a sponge that sucks every fancy that floats into our shores until we now have to ask ourselves where are we and how did we get here? Trinidad and Tobago is a buzzing hub in the Caribbean, what more competitive edge do we want? Did we ever have the edge in the first place? We have been bankrupt since 1986, our own resources we do not have the majority of shares so we cannot even call them our own. Since then globalization has presented itself in many forms and we have willingly invited them in an an attempt to save the economy. Gas,oil,fuel and the rest of the energy sector is what we have always benefited from until it gave way to trade deficit. Some innovative solutions proposed by our Minister was to promote our non-energy sector. I applaud this but I feel things could still get worse b trying to put a plaster on such a big gash.
DeleteWhile this is a very good idea it can never happen. Can you remember the Federation of ten British West Indian territories formed in 1958? Jamaica opted to pull out in fear that it would have to shoulder the burdens of the economically underdeveloped members.Trinidad and Tobago followed soon after and the federation was dissolved.
ReplyDeleteHow can the less developed countries attain a developed status? The core/developed nations cooperate with one another to say in power and one must not forget that the international system prevents countries from developing because they do not promote development. The system is designed to prevent them from development and that is what the dependency theorists termed as underdevelopment.
C. Samuel