In defense of globalization / Jagdish Bhagwati.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bhagwati, Jagdish N., 1934-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Globalization--Economic aspects.

Globalization.

Globalization--Social aspects.

Anti-globalization movement.

Physical Description:

xi, 308 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Auckland ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2004.

Summary:

Globalization has been blamed for everything from child labor to environmental degradation, cultural homogenization, and a host of other ills affecting rich and poor nations alike. Not a day goes by without impassioned authors and activists, whether anti- or pro-globalization, putting their oars into these agitated waters. When all is said, however, we lack a clear, coherent and comprehensive sense of how globalization works, and how it might be made to work better. Enter Jagdish Bhagwati, the internationally renowned economist, known equally for the clarity of his arguments and the sharpness of his pen. In this book, Bhagwati takes on globalization's critics, using sound economic principles and vivid examples rather than inflamed rhetoric, to show that globalization is in fact the most powerful force for social good in the world today.

Bhagwati explains why the "Gotcha" examples are often not as they seem -- that in fact globalization often alleviates many of the problems for which it has been blamed. Bhagwati carefully explains the fallacies that underlie many of the critics' arguments, suggesting that there is a good reason why most globalization protesters come from rich rather than poor countries. Exploring globalization's "human face" in great detail, Bhagwati demonstrates its beneficial effects on a panoply of social issues including poverty, child labor, women's rights, democracy, wage and labor standards, and the environment. He concludes that by focusing so much on globalization's purported evils, we are missing the opportunity to focus on accelerating its achievements while coping with its downsides. Often controversial and always compelling, Jagdish Bhagwati here provides at last a book that cuts through the noise on this most contentious issue, showing that globalization is part of the solution, not part of the problem. Anyone who wants to understand what's at stake in the globalization wars will want to read In Defense of Globalization.

Contents:

I Coping with Anti-Globalization

1 Anti-Globalization: Why? 3

2 Globalization: Socially, Not Just Economically, Benign 28

3 Globalization Is Good but Not Good Enough 32

4 Non-Governmental Organizations 36

II Globalization's Human Face: Trade and Corporations

5 Poverty: Enhanced or Diminished? 51

6 Child Labor: Increased or Reduced? 68

7 Women: Harmed or Helped? 73

8 Democracy at Bay? 92

9 Culture Imperiled or Enriched? 106

10 Wages and Labor Standards at Stake? 122

11 Environment in Peril? 135

12 Corporations: Predatory or Beneficial? 162

III Other Dimensions of Globalization

13 The Perils of Gung-ho International Financial Capitalism 199

14 International Flows of Humanity 208

IV Appropriate Governance: Making Globalization Work Better

15 Appropriate Governance: An Overview 221

16 Coping with Downsides 228

17 Accelerating the Achievement of Social Agendas 240

18 Managing Transitions: Optimal, Not Maximal, Speed 253

19 And So, Let Us Begin Anew 265.

Notes:

"A Council on Foreign Relations Book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-296) and index.

ISBN:

0195170253

OCLC:

53325095