Although globalization is attracting more and more attention worldwide, the issue has been largely ignored by candidates in Taiwan's presidential campaign. Not long ago, I was invited by presidential candidate Hsu Hsin Liang
I believe the scenes of violent clashes between police and protest groups that took place in Seattle during the WTO meeting are still fresh in people's memories. Just a few days ago, more conflicts broke out during the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.
If these violent conflicts had taken place in Taiwan, how would our presidential candidates react?
In my opinion, people's attitudes toward globalization are similar to what happens in City Besieged
In Qian's story, people in the besieged city want to leave while those kept out want to get in. Likewise, some people in countries leading the globalization trend want to stop it, while people in developing countries cannot wait to join in.
The only difference is that with globalization there is a third group of people, who are observing the direction of globalization, pondering what next step they should take.
What exactly is globalization? First, it is a vague idea. Some say it is a cultural phenomenon, best represented by the thriving of Disney and MacDonald's worldwide. In a sense, this is the weakest interpretation because root cultures are very difficult to change. That Chinese wear blue jeans and suits doesn't mean that Chinese culture is "globalized."
Some people consider globalization a political concept, referring to the decline of nation-states and their sovereignty and the emergence of super-states. The best example is the establishment of the European Union.
Recently, the European Parliament adopted political sanctions against the new Austrian government because the leader of the Freedom Party, Joerg Haider, is a far-rightist sympathetic to the Nazis. As a superstate organization, the EU is "rudely" interfering the domestic affairs of a member country. This phenomenon is what some people call political globalization.
It is natural for most people to regard globalization as an economic concept, meaning a liberalization transcends state borders. In fact, it is a sociological concept. Walestein might have been the first sociologist to use the term. According to his definition, it is a multifaceted concept -- an expanding phenomenon in a certain period of history. He also said that "world system" has been a core issue in human history.
Globalization can be exemplified by four examples. First, an evening TV broadcast shown in Berlin's airport was produced in California and sent to Berlin because of the the relatively lower costs -- demonstrating that satellite and Internet technology has facilitated the global transfer of skilled labor.
Second, pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square obtained information from the outside world via CNN and BBC, proof of the failure of the state to block the flow of telecommunication.
Third, many bicycles and shoes are designed with Taiwan technology, manufactured in China and exported to US and Europe. This shows the integration of labor, technology and markets on a global scale.
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