Is globalization really Westernization?

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Wouldn't that cause more enviornmental damage from the negative externalities of the kerosine?

At that time, no one was worrying about the environment.

There were capitalists the were offering electric cars (late 19 th century, early 20 th century) but they were outcompeted by the capitalists who made petrol powered cars.

However to return to the point, the corporate dominance of certain industries actually led to a reduction in prices (due to a reduction in the cost of extraction or manufacture) and a consequential increase in the number of people who could afford to pay. Back in the 30's and 40's A & P worked on the principle of volume. The eliminated the middleman and priced one or two percent over cost to produce a mammoth volume of purchases. By the way, the compaints against A & P were almost verbetim the same as the complaints against Wal-Mart. There was pissing and moaning about the demise of Ma and Pa grocery stores that could not match A & P prices.

Corporations dominate the production and distribution of food. The U.S has a problem with obesity and Americans pay the lowest percentage of any nation for their food. Medical care may come dear, but food in the U.S. is as cheap as borscht.

ruveyn

Here's the main reason I bumped this thread: I'm sick of the argument that says "Children in poor countries make stuff in sweatshops for American companies so globalization must be bad."

Sweatshops are an unavoidable part of capitalism. If they weren't in the third world then they would be in America and England. Isn't that what happened in Victorian England? You can't get rid of the have-nots by moving them.

"The crucial thing for most of the left now, is what goes under the name of "anti-globalization". A sort of primitive, I would say non-Marxist form of anti-capitalism."
- Christopher Hitchens

Sweatshops were mostly abolished in the U.S. by 1930. States passed health and safety laws so there would not be another Triangle Shirt Factory holocaust.

By then most states had child labor laws restricting the condition under which a person 14 years old or less could be employed.

ruveyn

What's wrong with child labour?

[quote="GGPViper"
What's wrong with child labour?[/quote]

Nothing inherently. The laws prevented children from being employed in tasks their young bodies could not handle well.

They did not want ten year old kids working in coal mines (in the 19th century that was common in the U.S. and Britain).

A kid who can do a job safely and competently should be hireable for that job.

ruveyn

The computer industry wants to hire wiz kids.

The bot is getting better. That one wasn't half bad.

I'd like to see the source code, though.

We want to force Brittney Spears and McDonalds down the throats of the rest of the world.
At least the Romans never sunk that low.
American agriculture wants everyone in the world to stop growing the crops they have traditionally grown and use our genetically altered crap,you can't save the seeds so now you have to buy ADM's Frankenstein seeds every year.

No one is forcing anything on anyone. People buy what they want and sell what they make.

ruveyn

In the future humans will be genetically engineered.

True,but we do broadcast alot of B.S.over satellite T.V.,just picture innocent indigenous toddlers exposed to Jersey Shore,no one should be subjected to that
But your right,they could turn off the T.V.
But GMO seeds are being coerced (maybe a better word) upon farmers in some areas.
Baker Creek Heirloom seeds has info on this.
RareSeeds.com