Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion writer Cynthia Tucker today makes the ridiculous and obscene assertion that globalization is "a more insidious force" than is al-Queda.
I don’t have much to more to say about Ms. Tucker’s perspective. I assume that she’s not an evil person. Therefore, she must be straw-man ignorant. I wish that she would read my favorite books on globalization and then revisit this assertion of hers. My favorite books, by the way, are (in no particular order):
Johan Norberg, In Defense of Global Capitalism (2003)
Douglas Irwin, Free Trade Under Fire, 2nd ed. (2005)
Martin Wolf, Why Globalization Works (2004)
Russell Roberts, The Choice, 3rd ed (2006)
Tyler Cowen, In Praise of Commercial Culture (1998)
Thomas Larsson, The Race to the Top (2001)
Frederic Bastiat, Economic Sophisms
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If the Bush administration were to push protectionist policies and withdraw the United States to its borders, Cynthia Tucker and the rest of the liberal elite would be saying we were leaving the world to the likes of Al-Quada. Expecting them to understand the simplest of economic basics is a little to much to expect. Anything beyond the basics of what they think J.M. Keynes taught is like expecting your pet beagle to comprehend string theory. It just ain't going to happen.
Oh come on Don. Her column can't be serious. It looks like a mash-up of the last 5 political chain letters I received from my grandfather, who likes to forward these things. About the only thing missing was how pregnant illegal immigrant women go into labor and then start running north. I give Ms. Tucker credit for cleaning up the grammar and getting rid of the telltale 5 level quoting that typical comes with these chain letters.
If Ms. Tucker were forced to look at a list of foreign-owned companies that offer jobs to American workers in the Atlanta area, I wonder if she'd be able to sweep those to the side as non-chalantly as she did a 4.4% unemployment rate.
I would add Kenichi Ohmae's The End of the Nation State to her list – which is an early and important look at the effects of globalism. Should we take up a collection for the books to send to her?
more like al-queda is a result of globalization. they fear the connectivity it brings. it undermines their authority over those parts of the world that are most disconnected.
Don,
I suppose that only time will tell.
Yet another reason why I stopped buying the AJC several months ago. Those of us in the metro Atlanta area should all cease reading this vile "newspaper" and opt for something better, such as news magazines like the Economist or something else. Anything but this drivel.
http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basSoph.html
Bastiat on econlib. For poor folk like myself.
Bastiat's always entertaining and to the point. I can't decide if I like the Petition of the Candlestick Makers or What is Seen and What is Not Seen more. Here are links to both.
http://bastiat.org/en/petition.html
http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/BasEss1.html
In response to Martin's comment about that "vile" newspaper; that's why in my household it's called either the "Peachtree Pravda" or "The Urinal/Constipation". I haven't subscribed in "lots" of years.