Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- PART I DEMOCRACY AND GLOBALIZATION
- 1 Elé Belé: The Subversion of Democracy
- 2 The Retreat of Global Democracy
- 3 Child Labour and International Labour Standards
- 4 International Labour Standards: A View from the Tropics
- 5 Labour vs. Labour: The Politics of Business Outsourcing
- 6 The Politics of Economics
- 7 Groucho Marx and Global Currency Flows
- 8 From Cowries to the Euro: Towards a One-Currency World
- 9 The WTO and North–South Bargains
- 10 Globalization and the Politics of International Finance: The Stiglitz Verdict
- PART II INDIA AND THE WORLD
- PART III SOCIAL NORMS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY
- PART IV PERSONS
- PART V ON THE ROAD, AROUND THE WORLD
- Index
2 - The Retreat of Global Democracy
from PART I - DEMOCRACY AND GLOBALIZATION
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- PART I DEMOCRACY AND GLOBALIZATION
- 1 Elé Belé: The Subversion of Democracy
- 2 The Retreat of Global Democracy
- 3 Child Labour and International Labour Standards
- 4 International Labour Standards: A View from the Tropics
- 5 Labour vs. Labour: The Politics of Business Outsourcing
- 6 The Politics of Economics
- 7 Groucho Marx and Global Currency Flows
- 8 From Cowries to the Euro: Towards a One-Currency World
- 9 The WTO and North–South Bargains
- 10 Globalization and the Politics of International Finance: The Stiglitz Verdict
- PART II INDIA AND THE WORLD
- PART III SOCIAL NORMS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY
- PART IV PERSONS
- PART V ON THE ROAD, AROUND THE WORLD
- Index
Summary
One strange and negative fallout of globalization, which seems to have gone unnoticed, not just by the laity but also by professional economists and political scientists, is this. Even if every country becomes more democratic, the world as a whole is firmly on course to becoming less democratic. This paradoxical process is a consequence of globalization, entailing the increasing ease with which countries can exert influence on the society, economy, and polity of one another. This has never been more transparent than in the wake of the East Asian economic crisis, South Asian nuclear tests, and political and military skirmishes and battles around the world, especially the Middle East. What is noteworthy is that the increase in the power of nations to influence one another has not been symmetric. The well being of Cubans, for instance, depends a lot on what the US president does. The US, because of its enormous international power, can cut off much of Cuba's trade lines, prevent it from exporting goods, and pursue policies which result in inflationary pressures in Cuba-all without having US personnel step beyond the shores of their country. There is, however, very little that Cubans can do to influence the quality of life in the US. Similar asymmetries can be found all around the world: India and Sri Lanka, Japan and Korea.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Retreat of Democracy and Other Itinerant Essays on Globalization, Economics, and India , pp. 15 - 20Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2010
- 1
- Cited by