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Golden Arches Theory

Concept

- No two countries that both have a McDonald's have ever fought a war against each other.

- When a country reached the level of economic development where it had a middle class big enough to

support a McDonalds network, it becomes a McDonalds country.

Application

- Golden Arches Theory of Conflict prevention applies only to the international stage. The theory didnt

apply to civil wars because globalization is going to sharpen civil wars within countries between

localizers and globalizers.

- This theory is not applicable in North Korea, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran, because they are not into

capitalism principles. They subject themselves to their own interest and ambitions.

Capitalism entails Peace

- Capitalism is a medium of peace, because people in a country preferred to enjoy its benefits than going

out and involving it in international conflicts. If a country or the country leaders disregard that fact, they

will suffer and pay a much higher price that they think.

Globalization affects Geopolitics

- Raises the cost of warfare: States cannot simply go to war with each other. States have to consider

economic implications. Economics is the new battleground.

- Creates new sources of power: Economics, not military. (Israel) The shifting from agricultural to a high

tech economy makes it less vulnerable to Arab political pressure. Arab states cannot simply attack

Israel because of its economic ties with U.S., Japan, China and India.

- Creates new sources of pressure: China, Japan and India used to avoid economic ties with Israel due

to fear of Arab retaliation. However, they badly need Israels technology and information based

economy to boost their own economies. This pressures C, J and I to enter into economic alliance withIsrael.

Globalization changes Culture

- Love at first byte.Inter racial, inter cultural and inter religious marriages.

- Freedomofspeech. Anyone can voice out their concerns about their country without the governments

knowing.

- Saudisladydrivers. Saudi considers letting women drive, something it has always banned, to save

millions of dollars being transferred to the home countries of foreign chauffeurs.

Globalizations measures of power: The Five-rings

- Shape: Define the territories that belong to you and exert sovereignty

- Size: Resize economy, sovereignty, etc. to fit into economic alliances

- Quality: Increase the quality of political and financial systems to accommodate foreign investors

- Equality: Democratize to prevent globalization from widening income and social gaps

- Liberty: Democratize, allow free press and opt to change management as demanded by globalization

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Demolition Man

Concept

- The Hollywood film represents the danger of globalization and cultural and environmental homogeneity,

standardization and sanitation.

- Friedman argues that because globalization is creating a single marketplace, it is homogenizing

consumption and culture and can run the risk of wiping out ecological and cultural diversity throughout

the world. In the Cold War system, cultures didnt interact as frequently or directly as they do today,where they are often offered up for global competition and comparison against one another.

Diversity in Globalization

- Friedman argues that because globalization is often associated with Americanization, countries need to

develop strong cultural and environmental filters so they can interact with but not be overwhelmed and

swallowed by the herd. He suggests the most important filter is the ability to glocalize, meaning a

cultures ability to absorb natural influences into their culture yet reject those that are aliento

assimilate aspects of globalization into your culture in a way that adds diversity without overwhelming.

- Globalization will be sustainable as long as we manage these filters in a way that protects our culture

while simultaneously getting the best out of others cultures.

Methods for Greening Globalization

- Mobilize the environmental entrepreneurs-- term coined by Keith Algers for an organization meant to

stop the logging activities in the rainforest in Brazil while formulating a plan to avoid unemployment

among these loggers. Looking at the bigger picture, it implies finding solution to the growing problems

of compromise in the industrialized society that environmental protection and economic development

can coexist together.

- Environmentally Sound Production Methods Corporations and shareholders should be pressured by

the government to adapt new environmental policies. The government hitting companies over the head

with both new regulations and new tax incentives to be green, and with SFC telling companies theyhave to start accurately portraying their environmental liabilities to shareholderssuch as where they

are being sued for dumping and what the cleaning up costthere has been a paradigm shift.

- Learning how to use globalization itself. Where globalization is an asset is in the fact that it is creating

Super-empowered environmentalist, who are acting on their own, can now fight back rather effectively

against both the Electronic Herd and governments. Thanks to the Internet, environmentalists in one

country are quickly relaying how a multinational behaves in their country to environmentalists in other

countries.

Preventing cultural homogeneity

- Glocalizationthe ability of a culture, when it encounters another strong cultures, to absorb influences

that naturally fit into and can enrich that culture, to resist those things that are alien and to

compartmentalize those things that, while different, can nevertheless be enjoyed and celebrated as

different.

o Unhealthy Glocalizationwhen you absorb something that isnt part of your culture, doesnt

connect with anything latent in your culture, but you have so lost touch with your culture, you

think it does.

- Glocalism alone is not sufficient to protect indigenous cultures from globalization. Some hard filters are

also needed. To begin with you need zoning laws, protected area laws and educational programs to

preserve unique regions and a cultural heritage from insidious homogenous development.

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