The theorists of communism were confident that someday all countries and peoples of our planet will voluntarily choose the communist path of development, and then long-awaited happiness for all mankind will come. Today globalization has taken the place of communism. And we are again promised universal happiness. But will it come?
IT ALL STARTED WITH ROME
Whatever contemporary problem you take, it immediately becomes clear that its origins lie deep in the history of mankind. Which is perfectly understandable, since this is the essence of the development of society - the acquisition of new features through the modernization of old ones. It sounds good, and the supporters of globalization always say that, they say, this is a natural process, and opponents of it are, in fact, opponents of progress. Who wants to be against progress? Nobody. So globalization is marching across the planet, meeting almost no resistance. In the meantime … But first things first. What is globalization in simple terms? This is the erasure of borders between countries and peoples. Economic, political, ethnic, religious, cultural - whatever. The first features of today's globalization are already visible in the dreams and subsequent deeds of Alexander the Great,and then in the world expansion of the Roman Empire. Actually, the ancient Romans by their behavior (in every sense of the word) laid down such a powerful message for the further development of the West, as such, that it is still valid. Formally, Rome fell a little more than one and a half thousand years ago, but in fact it is alive and well to this day. Both as a city and as an idea. And the main idea of the Roman Empire was always simple and clear - to own the world forever. But if then, 2000 years ago, by ownership was meant the direct conquest and subordination to Rome of the surrounding countries, peoples and tribes, then in our time everything is more subtle. It may still seem to another state or people that it (he) has full sovereignty and independently decides how to live in the present and future, but in reality everything is not so. And sovereignty is only on paperand the present with the future has long been modeled as a carbon copy by the strategists of globalization and is being put into practice with might and main.
VOLUNTARY-FORCED
The legions of the Roman Empire reached the hills of Scotland in the north, the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, the Sahara desert in the south, and the Caucasus in the east with their iron tread. And they carried with them not only war, blood and extortions. The Romans built the roads that Europe still uses today. Many peoples were given a language and writing - for centuries, learned people and simply educated Europeans wrote exclusively in Latin, and even a hundred years ago, Latin was mandatory for study in Russian gymnasiums. Jurisprudence. The entire modern legal system of the West is built on the solid foundation of Roman law. Science, literature, medicine, military art, engineering … The influence of Rome on the countries and peoples subordinate to it can hardly be overestimated. But most importantly, as already mentioned, it continues today. You don't have to go far for examples. From Moscow to San Francisco, people for the most part go to the same fast food establishments, wear similar clothes made in China, watch American films and TV series, drive the cars of famous multinational corporations, use a democratic electoral system … etc..d. etc. Moreover, everything happens in a relatively peaceful way. There is a good YouTube video where German economist writer Ernst Wolff explains how globalization works. Imagine a village, he says, looking for a new village council building for $ 100,000. The mayor goes to the bank and asks for a loan of 50,000, since he has 50,000 for construction. The bank agrees. The mayor then negotiates with the director of the construction company that they put 50,000 in their pocket and informs the council that the building will cost $ 150,000. The council understands nothing about this and agrees with the villagers. Two corrupt officials go to the bank and ask for another 50,000. The bank does not give. Then they go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He is ready to give money even today, but on his own terms: "You will provide a place in the grocery market for a large American corporation, allow us to open a branch of our bank in the village and privatize a well in the central square, from where all residents get water." The mayor and the director of the construction company agree (they wouldn't agree!). And the villagers do not have time to look back, as they are already eating products they did not produce (the American corporation has lower prices for chicken and vegetables, but then, when the locals go broke, it will raise them), drink bottled water, buying it, and loans for all this is taken from someone else's bank (they used to use their own savings bank,which, of course, could not stand the competition). This is the whole essence of globalization, which is then also presented as a program of assistance to developing countries.
Promotional video:
THE GREAT CONFRONTATION
We all remember from history that the Roman Empire at one time was divided into two - the Western with the capital in Rome and the Eastern (aka Byzantium), whose capital was Constantinople (now Istanbul). We will not go deep into the question of why the historical roads of these two empires diverged. Here many important reasons played a role, ranging from the mentality of the peoples inhabiting them, and ending with the division of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Be that as it may, and since then, conditional Rome and conditional Byzantium oppose each other, and there is no end in sight. The West (the countries of Europe plus the United States) is on the side of the conditional Rome, Russia is on the side of the conditional Byzantium with one or another temporary allies. At different times, this confrontation was of a different nature - from cultural and economic competition to direct military clashes (the Patriotic Wars of 1812 and 1941-1945 are the most striking example). But, we repeat, it was always. Is this good or bad? Which side to look at. Supporters of globalization argue that there is nothing good in such a confrontation, since a lot of resources are wasted, supposedly, the movement of goods, technologies and services is hampered, and the peoples cannot find a common language in order to finally live as one friendly family. Opponents, on the other hand, think this is good. Confrontation, they say, is always a difference of potential, a clash of interests, competition and competition (yes, sometimes there is war, but this is an extreme that should be avoided). Only under such conditions is real progress possible. Not even speaking about,that the diversity of cultures, political and economic systems implies freedom of choice. That in itself is the prerogative of a person as such.
FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP, AND TOBACCO IS VROZ
It should be admitted that from the point of view of science, philosophy and just common sense, the arguments of the opponents of globalization seem preferable. Suffice it to recall the obsessive desire of theorists and practitioners of communism to spread socialism throughout the planet, as it becomes clear that the current "conductors" of globalization are no better. And even, perhaps, worse. Global socialism at least put everyone on an equal footing in practice. And he tried to somehow pull up the lagging countries, training local specialists, building factories, factories, schools, power plants and roads. Today's globalism only declares equality. In fact, the poor and backward countries, who have followed the promises of the globalists, are getting poorer and lagging behind even more (see the explanation of the German economist).
“The one who is faithful to the golden mean will wisely avoid both the squalid roof and the one that harbors envy in others - the wondrous palaces,” wrote the ancient Roman poet Horace more than 2000 years ago, and since then his lines have only added relevance. There are fresh and useful ideas in the theory of globalism. How to apply them is another matter. While there is an impression that the Russian proverb about friendship and tobacco is still true, and those countries and peoples who follow it will definitely not lose.
Akim Bukhtatov