Open World essays

Open World essays In the Introduction to his book Open World: The Truth About Globalization, author Philippe Legrain writes, "Awarding the 2008 Olympics to Beijing was richly symbolica recognition of how far China had come," (3). Legrain continues to note that major multinationals like Coca-Cola, Visa, McDonalds, and Kodak look forward to being able to market to the humongous Chinese market. Using this example as a opening for his wide-ranging book about the implications of globalization, Legrain posits that globalization is ripe with potential for the international community, for which it offers economic, political, and social benefits. Moreover, Legrain critiques what he believes are common misperceptions about the history and meaning of globalization, which he states is "not shorthand for the way the world is today," (10). On these premises, Legrain presents clear and logical arguments in favor of the economic, political, and social trends that accompany globalization, pointing out that its critics are either misinformed or unduly alarmist. The author also demonstrates that globalization is a force that can be molded and transformed to suit the needs of the times and cultures it affects. Open World contains thirteen chapters, all of which are accompanied by detailed and academic references; plus a handy index for easy referencing. Although the author's stance appears starry-eyed and overly optimistic, Legrain nevertheless offers an enlightening perspective to one of the most heated debates of our time. In Chapter One, "Worried Workers," Legrain asserts that globalization should be the last thing that labor should be worried about in spite of fears that foreign workers are infringing on the prosperity of the domestic labor force. Competition in the domestic market and technological advancements cause the majority of pay cuts and layoffs, not foreign factories (Legrain 29). In fact...