"There is no such thing as a homogenized culture. Homogeneity and culture shouldn't be in the same sentence, in the first place."- says me

Globalization blooper:
Nike shot a television spot for hiking boots in Kenya using Samburu tribesmen. As one of the men speaks in his native Maa, the slogan "Just Do it'' comes up as a subtitle on screen. According to Lee Cronk, a University of Cincinnati anthropologist, the translation is less than exact. It seems that the tribesman is really saying ``I don't want these. Give me big shoes.'' Nike spokesperson Elizabeth Dolan admitted to Forbes magazine that the literal translation came as an unpleasant surprise. "We thought nobody in America would know what he said.''
- Media Awareness Network

No issues about vanity and shopping today. Much as I would like to brag about the cool eye candies I just bought, I'd like to write about a very passe' issue. Passe', but important to me, nonetheless. Well, guess what? This mababaw and vain bitch will talk about globalization. Oh, fuck. It's true.

Business people will argue this way: Complete elimination of all trade barriers in the world would add $1.9 trillion (about 5%) to the world’s gross economic product by 2005.

To cut the crap, businessmen (capitalists, more likely) claim that trade liberalization will rapidly yield big economic gains around the world. It is better to focus on a country's competency in terms of trade and industry to improve its productivity and economic growth.

I may know zilch about business, hell, I have to sit down for hours to fix my expenses and financial figures. But I do know this much: no matter how much they harp on the benefits of globalization, the fact remains that most of its proponents ignore the following facts:

- The cost of trade liberalization is steep: unsustainable trade imbalances, short-term capital inflows, growing income inequality, and increasing downward pressures on wages.

- Gone, too, is the consideration for environmental sustainability.

- Globalization more often that not, ignores a lot of humanitarian factors. Episodes of economic crises left people unemployed and poor. Inequality and wage erosion is propagated. Families and communities that have lost their livelihood are left with almost zero option since workers are unable to shift locations or occupations rapidly. The adjustment cost is simply too high.

I am not a hardliner with regards to this globalization issue, but I refuse to believe that globalization is the only way to go. It overrides the fact that there are human beings involved. Not just economics, business and money.

What the hell happened to sustainable development? I say, we have to be careful. Let's just bite what we can chew.

And yes, honey. I did my research.

For more resources on globalization, visit this non-partisan org.