Global anxiety: militarization or integration of the world economy?

Amid the gloom of current world affairs, there are hopeful signs and promising opportunities that stand out, by which the current state can be withstood. On May 24, 2002, the U.S. and Russia signed a landmark nuclear arms pact, which cuts the two countries' arsenals by two-thirds. Likewise,

These developments, however, are overshadowed by the sobering events of 2001. The world today faces serious problems with catastrophic consequences for the world economy. These problems range from poverty to political abuses and the daily brutal violation of the basic principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Some of these problems (e.g., poverty, human rights abuses, racism, the rise of religious fanaticism, unilateralism, and nuclear war) deserve attention and immediate remedies, as they constitute a threat to global economic integration, prosperity, freedom, and civilization.

Wolfensohn (2002), the President of the World Bank, asserts, "we still have a world in which there are a billion two hundred million people living under $1 a day and where you have 80 percent of the people with 20 percent of the income and 20 percent of the people with 80 percent of the income. Within the countries also of this hemisphere, we have a very unfriendly division between the rich and the poor." President Bush on March 14, 2002 echoed this fact and recognized its consequences. He declared, "a growing divide between wealth and poverty, between opportunity and misery that is both a challenge to our compassion and a source of instability." The daily life of many people in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, is blended with misery, pain, terror, starvation and frustration. This situation sheds a doubt on the willingness of the leaders of the world community to address issues that are essential for building a peaceful world free of terror.

The Human Right Watch in its 2002 Report argues that violation of human rights, after September 11 terrorist attacks, have increased significantly globally. It states that the leading members of the anti-terror coalition "have violated human rights principles at home and overlooked human rights transgressions among their partners. They have substituted expediency for the firm commitment to human rights that alone can defeat the rationale of terrorism.... The message ... as seen from Washington, violence becomes intolerable based not on whether civilians are attacked but on whose civilians are attacked and who is doing the attacking. Attacks against civilians on U.S. soil are to be vigorously opposed, but attacks against other civilians often are not. Rebel or insurgent attacks on civilians are condemned, but government attacks on civilians--especially attacks by key government allies--are ignored. Such a message hardly helps to build broad public support for human rights."

The wide spread of xenophobia and racism against ethnic and religious minorities hinder the quest for global ethical practice and global economic integration. On May 23, 2002, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia reported, on mounting anti-Muslim prejudice across the continent, and the government's legitimizing of racist debate (See Black, 2002). In the U.S., several human right organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, (ADL) documented a dramatic surge in racism. Bigotry and racism not only hinder global economic integration but also poison the minds of new generations, thereby making political and social reforms a distant reality.

The ever-rising influence of religious fanaticism is a new phenomenon that will eventually erode the separation between state and church in liberal countries. In Europe, the right-wing movements that blend religious beliefs with extreme nationalism have gained tremendous influence in countries such as Holland, France, and Italy. The Economist (April 27, 2002) asserts that, "xenophobic parties are either sharing power or growing in popularity" and "the ghosts of Hitler and Mussolini and assorted nasties carrying an odour of the 1930s are said to be stalking the continent." In the United States, the Wall Street Journal (May 23) reported that the Evangelical Christians have recently exercised unprecedented influence on foreign policy. House Republican leader Dick Armey, on May 1, 2002, called for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. His call was purely religious. Tom Delay, the U.S. House Majority Whip, believes that there is no "separation of church and state" and argues, "our entire system is built on the Judeo-Christian ethic, but it fell apart when we started denying God. If you stand up today and acknowledge God, they will try to destroy you ... My mission is to bring us back to the Constitution and to Absolute Truth that has been manipulated and destroyed by a liberal worldview" (quoted in Pizzo, 2002). In South Asia, religious extremism and fanaticism have taken root in recent years, especially in India and Pakistan. Since, both countries have nuclear weapons and current political leaders seem to be largely driven by religious dogma, the possibility of nuclear war is not remote.

Rationality and reasoning usually takes a back seat when thinking is shaped by religious rhetoric and extreme nationalism. Ironically, in the developing countries, both religious fanaticism and extreme nationalism are easily denounced and dismissed. But in some parts of the developed world, the challenging of fanatics amounts to political suicide. However, if it is left unchallenged, it will lead to the demise of civilization.

The rise of unilateralism ideology in many parts of the world represents a retreat from global engagement and cooperation. Unilateralists are guided solely by national priorities and domestic politics. Unilateralists consider the use of military force as an attractive choice, and international public opinion as an inferior burden. This tendency endangers multilateral agreements, weakens international institutions such as the UN and inaugurates the beginning of the fall of civilization.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the ease with which biological and chemical weapons are obtained threaten world peace and economic interdependence. Current political debate and rhetoric seem to indicate that the nuclear arsenal is no longer a deterrent weapon, but a preferred choice for solving political problems. It, therefore, represents a legalization of terrorist weapons and technology against life. Furthermore, it reinforces the assumption, that the clash of civilization is not just an academic exercise, but also, also, a powerful motivational force that dictates the behavior of politicians in many quarters of the world.

The above threats and possibilities, individually and collectively, will eventually lead to devastations that would trivialize any catastrophic events yet seen. The preceding threats have already created unease and discomfort and will deepen divisions across the globe. The signs of divisions and discomfort are manifested in the growing appearance of global polarization, militarization of the globe, retreat from global economic integration, global panic, and intensifying global risk.

FACING THE CHALLENGE

Certain obstacles and aspirations exist in mankind's never ending journey for a better life. These challenges and promises, however, differ in their ferociousness and allurements. Over centuries, people in different parts of the world have experienced success and failure in coping with socioeconomic obstacles and utilizing existent opportunities. Generally, the legacy has been one of frustration and disappointment. This fact, coupled with the growing new threats that are outlined above, should be pondered simultaneously and coherently.

It is self-evident that world politics and international business are not separable. The terrorist acts of September 11 and their aftermath have demonstrated that international politics and global political strategies have had a profound influence on business organizations and business environment. Such strong linkage has produced a mixed blessing for corporations, and a disaster for some quarters of the world community.

Conducted in an environment of openness and collective responsibility, the outcome should benefit people across the globe. The Second World War miraculously produced the Bretton Woods System and the Marshall Plan, and set the stage for building an open economy and for the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The end of the Cold War accelerated the liberalization of the trade and privatization movement worldwide.

To many observers, the dawn of the new millennium is already marked with setbacks and derailments from the path initiated in the last two decades of the twentieth century: commitment to free movement of capital, goods, ideas, and labor across the globe; breaching of trade and political barriers; peaceful existence and cultural openness; narrowing the gap between the rich and poor nations; and celebrations of civility among others. These observers argue that business organizations and governments have failed miserably to design programs that minimize obstacles and that lead to optimal economic and cultural outcomes. They indicate that violence in all its forms and prejudices has not only managed to curtail freedom and limit the boundaries of discourse, but also has stimulated a retreat from global economic integration and its positive engagements.

The dawn of the new millennium should be a vibrant stimuli for a vigorous positive global engagement and a creative approach for expanding globalization benefits. It should be, too, the primary motivator to reduce terrorism in all its forms (e.g. political, ideological, economic, environmental, military occupation, development and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction, comprehensive economic sanctions, war, etc.). All forms of terrorism endanger the safety, security and welfare of people in different parts of the world. Therefore, a genuine reconsideration of the failed strategies at the business firm, national, and international levels become imperative. New thinking should give priority to constructive dialogue among societies and to the necessity of tolerance, diversity, cooperation, and civil behavior and conduct.

Paula Dobrianky (2002), U.S. Under Secretary of State, argues that the new thinking should focus on profound reform across the globe to: open our economies and societies to growth; provide freedom, security, and hope for present and future generations; provide all people with the opportunity for healthy and productive lives; and serve as good stewards of our natural resources and our environment. These recommendations are sound. Practically, however, they are impossible to realize in a world that is driven by war fever, national superiority, and uncompromising ideologies.

The world community is at a crossroad. The challenges are real and the options are clear. Religious fanaticism and extreme nationalism, however, have paralyzed any attempt to devise a genuine global policy necessary for building a functional and responsible world community. There is a need to transform the "anti-terror coalition" into a "global coalition" for building peace; eradicating global social, political, and economic injustice; creating a sound foundation for world economic integration; and accounting for and eliminating weapons of mass destruction. Failing to do so could be devastating.

REFERENCES

Black, Ian. (May 24, 2002). End growing anti-Muslim prejudice, EU report urges. Available online: http://www.guardian.co.uk.

Bush, George W. (March 14, 2002). Remarks on Global Development. Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, and D.C. Available online: http://www.whithouse.gov.

Dobriansky, Paula J. (May 23, 2002). Working together to build prosperity. Available online: http://www.state.gov.

Hamburger, Tom; and Vandehei, Jim. (May 23, 2002). How Israel became a favorite cause of Christian right. The Wall Street Journal, A1.

Human rights watch (2002). World report 2002. Available online: http://www.hrw.org.

Pizzo, Stephen. (May 16, 2002). Tom delay in his own words. Available online: http://www.alternet.org.

Wolfensohn, James D. (January 28, 2002). Globalization, equity, and faith. Available online: http://www.worldbank.org.

--. (April 27, 2002). Toxic but containable. The Economist, 363 (8270): 47-48.