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الزعامة الهزيلة أساس العولمة الرديئة

Jul 20, 2016 Jorge G. Castañeda

مكسيكو سيتي ــ منذ خمسينيات القرن العشرين، لم تتوقف الدول الأوروبية عن مناقشة التكاليف والفوائد المترتبة على التكامل الإقليمي. ومع الاستفتاء على الخروج من الاتحاد الأوروبي في المملكة المتحدة بدأت المناقشة تدور حول قضايا مثل العولمة، والتجارة الحرة، والهجرة، وما يترتب على هذه القضايا من آثار اقتصادية.

لقد أخطأ الناخبون في المملكة المتحدة في اتخاذ قرار الخروج من الاتحاد الأوروبي؛ فقد وقعوا فريسة للاحتيال، وخاصة من قِبَل وزير الخارجية البريطاني الجديد بوريس جونسون. ولكن البيروقراطيين ومحبي أوروبا يخطئون أيضا إذا تجاهلوا الأكاذيب التي منحت الحياة لحجج حملة "الخروج". فقد كانت هذه الأكاذيب فعّالة في المملكة المتحدة، وقد تكون فعّالة أيضا في دول أعضاء أخرى في الاتحاد الأوروبي، وفي الديمقراطيات في مختلف أنحاء العالم أيضا.

لن يكون الاستمرار على المسار نحو "الاتحاد المتزايد التقارب" سهلا. إذ يتعين على أوروبا أن تتصدى للعديد القضايا في نفس الوقت، بما في ذلك قضية اللاجئين، وقضية الهجرة، والديون السيادية، وارتفاع معدلات البطالة، ودولة الرفاهة التي لم تعد تفي بوعودها، على الرغم من الضرائب المرتفعة وتوافر موارد هائلة لتمويلها. ولمواجهة هذه التحديات، يتعين على زعماء الاتحاد الأوروبي أن يعملوا على بناء جمهور ناخبين قوي من خلال تلبية احتياجات الأوروبيين ومطالبهم بشكل مباشر.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 13 Comments on this article

Robert O'Regan Jul 26, 2016

Excellent article!
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Cary Fraser Jul 26, 2016

The fundamental issues that drives the critique of globalization is the lack of transparency and accountability exhibited by governments. Alienation and resentment are inevitable consequences of governmental incompetence and the Brexit debate has - fortunately - exposed the intellectual limitations of the country's leaders. A similar process has emerged in the 2016 US presidential campaign and will have spillover consequences in Mexico and Canada as the costs and benefits of "free-trade" are increasingly debated amidst the growing evidence that social dislocation will have electoral consequences.
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John Doyle Jul 26, 2016

Voters in support of Brexit were not hoodwinked one bit. The voters who wanted to remain just said they were hoodwinked. They were the marginalised in today's society and when this opportunity came they took it!
Poor leadership is de rigeur today. It doesn't matter what the policy is it is safe to say it will not work well. You are aware of that!
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Francesco D'Allessandro Jul 23, 2016

Mr. Castañeda a great part of your analysis is right on point. Yet there are some that need to be amplified. In China's case for example it "has transformed itself into a major consumer market" due to internal Chinese policies and not because of imports. Globalization has definitely played a major role in the economical growth of the country but at the expense of others when you analyze the trade defict charts between the heirs of Mao Tse Tung and the rest of the Western nations.

As to the USA becoming more competitive not many will agree with you. Only a few major American companies have benefited but not the majority thus why there is angst among the middle class.

It is not the myriad of lies that are producing Brexit, Trump, La Pen or Bernie Sanders. It is mostly the insensitiveness of the globalization clique who do not care to comprehend the real fears of their constituencies.

Look at the scandals in your country that have affected the current Mexican president and his entourage. To those who are unemployed or live below the poverty line in Michoacan or Guadalajara globalization or NAFTA must seem like a bad joke (even though certain sectors in your country have benefited from it).

Take French President Hollande and his $11,000.00 a month barber; the recent released Wikileaks cables on Hilary Clinton and the Democratic party political shenanigans; current USA President Obama downplaying the ISIS threat as a "JV team"... No wonder millions of voters are angry at what they perceive as arrogance and no accountability (perception is reality) among the ruling caste.

The current world order in which the West lives has to undergo a major change if it wants to survive in the coming decades. The years of smoke and mirrors are becoming passé. The populists are tapping into real discontent; that is why they are garnering votes. The masses who do not even know of the existence of this blog are tired of "doublespeak" and thus are leaving in droves toward those who echo their despair. Let's find true solutions to the problems that are affecting their wallets and dreams and not just lambast the present day messengers who are speaking a slew of truths (with their cuota of distortions of course-just as every politician does) and are mobilizing popular discontent throughout Europe and the USA.
- John Brian Shannon Jul 29, 2016
  
  "It is not the myriad of lies that are producing Brexit, Trump, La Pen or Bernie Sanders. It is mostly the insensitiveness of the globalization clique who do not care to comprehend the real fears of their constituencies." -- Francesco D'Allessandro
  
  Exactly as you've said, Francesco.
  
  Cheers! JBS
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Simon Barnard Jul 22, 2016

Globalization, free trade, immigration, and inequality have not been ignored by elites - they have been encouraged.
What has been ignored is the failings of economic theory and monetary policies that are being used to try to heal the weeping wounds that have been caused to society.
Growth of GDP would appear to be a good thing but if it is not distributed in an equitably then it will only increase inequality and its negative impacts. The reducing of interest rates by central banks to stimulate growth is, in Keynes' works, "like pushing string". Demand needs to be increased from the bottom up - hasn't anyone noticed that the trickle down approach does not work?
The 99% know that radical solutions are required. They also know that globalization, free trade and immigration predominantly only benefit the 1%. Perhaps the leaders need to look at other radical solutions such as universal basic income and a very progressive tax system to redistribute some of the wealth and thus create some genuine demand.
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lirain urreiztieta Jul 20, 2016

UK voters were not "hoodwinked", on the contrary, the truth was brought to light and all of the sudden they were shown the enormous burdens of the various "regulations, directives, opinions" etc issued by that unelected group of mandarins sitting in Brussels (visit EU LEX). Concur that the types of jobs replacing those lost to globalization, are not he best, and the economic benefits of the new jobs, do not make-up for what is lost. GDP growth has slowed down as a result.
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uwe meller Jul 20, 2016

I always like comments from Sr. Castaneda, but he is missing some data. Before NAFTA, the US had a fairly even import/export ratio, now there is a large deficit. Mr. Fox's administration did not help Mexican corn and sugar cane growers, two very important crops in Mexico. Mr. Fox also negotiated a trade deal with China, in the first year, Mexico exported goods worth one billion USD, whereas China exported goods worth 15 billion USD. There is virtually no vocational education, workers are looked down upon in society. There are unwritten rules to keep worker salaries low so that middle and upper middle classes can enjoy large houses at bargain prices. Almost all have cleaning ladies and gardeners paid peanuts in relation to the elite. I lived in Mexico for eight years and Mexico is also the most prejudiced country that I have experienced, even more than the French and Arabs. If you are short and dark, your chances of economic success are very limited.
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Petey Bee Jul 20, 2016

Interesting link to the BLS data. I expanded the time range to 1980-2016, then 1966-2016. Claims of manufacturing jobs created in response to NAFTA are even more shaky than I thought.
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stephan Edwards Jul 20, 2016

Why shouldn't we have grudges and grievances? Speaking just for myself though I am hardly unique, I have had 2 jobs shipped to Mexico, a 3rd to Vietnam, Then trained my H1B replacement at a fourth. Am I supposed to love and be joy filled at being reduced from the middle class to utter poverty for the greater good of Wall street and the so called "Elites". Or as is more likely should I hold a vicious grudge and a great deal of hatred for the people who got rich by shipping most of the half way decent jobs to the 3rd world in the name of Free trade. Free trade has benefited very few at the expense of the many. That distant drumming you hear isn't thunder It's jackboots. Fascism or a modern equivalent is on its way and You the "Elites" did it to yourselves. Your Mantra was greed is good an boy you took it to the max. Leaving behind a Large and growing group with, No hope, No job, No future, just a great deal of bitter hatred. Fodder for a new Robespierre, Napoleon or Hitler. Because you know what maybe shipping our jobs to the 3rd world helped many people out of poverty, I wouldn't know. But you know what I do know I and the others like me didn't volunteer for poverty, and we sort of expected our government to at least pretend to represent our interests. Instead we got experts telling how wonderful it was for GDP, you know what I don't eat GDP and I can't pay rent with it. But as long as a "Free Trade" agreement increases "GDP" by 1$ as far as the experts are concerned the fact it put a million people in poverty is unimportant. If you so called "Experts" can't figure out why the working class will no longer wipe themselves with free trade agreement. I suggest you crawl out of your elegant and gated Ivory towers and look at our reality.
- Steve Hurst Jul 20, 2016
  
  @stephan
  
  The key issue is citizens expect by and large they will recieve more priority from government than people in other countries. Few now believe that is the case. There is a disconnect between those that talk about recovery and those who turn to food banks in increasing numbers
  
  @Petey
  
  I havent looked at the data but expect the reduced manufacturing activity to be a mix of high tech, niche, low paid, with a shortage of large scale mass manufacturing. In view of the fact one man and a vinyl sticker machine are classed as manufacturing the usual conclusion is the industrial network needed to support manufacturing has been severely damaged
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Steve Hurst Jul 20, 2016

This is becoming the new normal. An article that takes a swipe at Brexit, belatedly recognises there are impacts and failures in policy that lead to Brexit, but offers nothing new in the way of a solution. This really is just a rehash of the EU elite fast food takeaway with a mexican flavour but basically no different. Nothing new, just the offer to supersize it all. This is a diet that leads and has lead to debt obesity and basically people have found the stuff on offer doesnt look anything like the glossy photo. The fact people vote with their feet says it all
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Walter Gingery Jul 20, 2016

Thanks for the view from the other side of the border.

The author makes a vital point. It is essential, I would argue, for the success of NAFTA and similar "free" trade agreements, that they be managed for the welfare of all stakeholders.

The "free" market is anything but free. Left unsupervised, it will deliver only poverty for many. I doubt that anyone -- even the wealthy -- truly wants the long run consequences thereof.

Germany, London, Wall Street, take heed. . . .
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الزعامة الهزيلة أساس العولمة الرديئة

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