Transcription
Okay, so we've been having all kinds of fun in this unit talking about the effects of globalization in the last 100-plus years. But all those effects haven't been puppies and rainbows throughout the world. And so, in this video, we're going to consider various resistance movements protesting globalization. So if you're ready to get them brain cows milk Britain wood style, then let's get to it.
Now, if you've been with me since the beginning of this unit, you'll know that the globalizing of the world's economy and culture has fundamentally changed the world since 1900. That is beyond debate. But the real question is this: Has this change been for the better or for the worse? Well, let's look at these changes from the positive side. Economic globalization was responsible for the largest bout of economic growth in the history of the world. Like, for example, while the global population quadrupled in the 20th century, the world's economy output multiplied by 40. And that means, on the whole, that fantastic economic increase has led to better standards of living, better health care, that extended lifespans, widespread education and literacy, etc.
And then, on the cultural side of things, because of this increased interconnection between the world's cultures, global movements for human rights have been implemented on a massive scale. So that's great, right? Like, thanks to globalization, the world is as happy and wholesome as Mr. Rogers' sweater vest. Who could find any problem with those outcomes?
Well, as it turns out, that is not the whole story, and I know you want the whole story. So let's consider the negative effects of globalization, both in terms of economics and culture. But before I do, let me just mention that if you need help studying for that National exam that's coming up, then you should for sure check out my AP World Himler review guide, which has everything you need to study as fast as possible. It's got whole unit reviews that you're not going to see here on YouTube, note guides to follow along, practice questions, practice exams, and answer keys for every dang bit of it. So if that's something that you're into, check the link in the description.
Okay. Now, in order to understand resistance movements against economic globalization, I have to first tell you about the creation and policies of a couple significant International Economic Institutions. The story begins in 1944, just one year before the end of World War II. And that year, the United States led a meeting of capitalist nations known as the Bretton Woods conference. And because one of the main causes of the second world war was that series of global economic crises after World War I, this conference aimed to construct a post-war world that would be more stable and contribute to economic flourishing. And so, to that end, the conference members created two organizations in order to make that a reality. First was the World Bank, which was created to provide financial assistance for the Reconstruction of Europe after World War II. However, later in the century, it shifted its focus to providing loans and technical assistance to developing countries for projects aimed at reducing poverty and promoting economic development and achieving sustainable growth. And then, second, they created the International Monetary Fund to facilitate monetary cooperation among all the member states of the world. And so, both of these organizations made it their aim to promote free trade and keep global currency values, which would be evaluated by the value of the American dollar, stable and free-flowing. And so this global economic order became kind of the standard operating procedure for the post-war world. And while it certainly created the conditions for that profound economic flourishing that I mentioned earlier, that flourishing was not evenly distributed throughout the world. You see, critics argue that the Bretton Woods system, carried out by the World Bank, the IMF, and other global institutions like the World Trade Organization, marginalized populations in the global South for the economic benefit of the global North. It's kind of like the old system of imperialism, in which imperial powers exploited colonial economies for their own benefit—that dog just can't learn any new tricks. So the global economic policies created by these institutions made it easy for multinational corporations, for example, to exploit laborers in developing countries that lack regulation for their policy. Additionally, critics argue that this global approach to economics challenges and undermines more local economic decisions in the name of a global order. Therefore, in response, a significant anti-globalization movement has risen in an attempt to change these policies. And probably the most visible manifestation of the resistance to this new global economic order was the Battle in Seattle in 1999. And that year, the World Trade Organization met in Seattle to establish their financial goals for the new millennium. And to their great annoyance, a massive anti-globalization protest formed outside with over 40,000 people from a large diversity of backgrounds. Now, the police response to the activist was harsh, including the use of tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowd. However, what was notable about that protest is that it marked the beginning of a much larger anti-globalization movement that represented the interests of those who have been marginalized by global economic policies.
Okay, now global economic policies aren't the only target of resistance; so too is the increasing influence of globalized culture. You see, because the advent of social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter have been a huge catalyst for the spread of culture, some states have resisted the intrusion of globalized culture by developing their own local social media sites. And here I'm going to tell you about China. So China went ahead and shut down sites like Facebook and Twitter because, by their reckoning, those outlets were responsible for creating unrest in their country. For example, in 2009, a riot broke out between the majority Han and the minority Uighur populations. Now, the Uighurs are Muslims and have had a long history of abuse in China, but the point is the Chinese government blames social media sites for trafficking in ideas that caused this uprising and therefore shut it down. But the Chinese government knew that people still need their social media because, after all, those memes ain't going to share themselves anyway. To replace those filthy Western social media programs, China introduced its own platform called Weibo, which allowed the Chinese people to do the same things they did on Facebook and Twitter but without the danger of Western ideas sneaking in because the government filtered out any information that they deemed unfit.
Okay, click here to keep reviewing my other unit 9 videos. And if you're feeling saucy, click here to grab my AP World Himler review guide, which will help you study everything as fast as possible for that National exam. And I'll catch you on the flip-flop. I'm L out.