Globalization
...atmosphere. The increased interdependency of nations in the last half century has spawned both positive and negative trends. Nations’ increasing reliance on one another’s natural resources and labor are making the world smaller politically, socially, and economically. The isolationist policies that the United States and so many other countries endorsed at the dawn of the twentieth century are no longer viable options. American foreign policy and the political landscape of the world changed forever when the Allied Forces prevailed in World War II. The Marshall Plan’s doctrine of economic recovery and globalization set the stage for nearly every major international conflict since World War II. Varying opinions exist on whether or not globalization improves or agitates international issues but the only definite conclusion one can draw is that globalization is neither completely beneficial nor is it totally harmful to the international community as a whole.
Many skeptics argue that the consequences of globalization exceed the benefits. Stanley Hoffman believes that in today’s climate of increased international dependence, state sovereignty suffers directly from globalization. In “Clash of Globalizations”, Hoffman discusses the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States on the international community and the consequential violations of individual liberties as a sacrifice for security from future attacks. Hoffman alleges that globalization has made the world a more dangerous place because “terrorism is a global phenomenon that ultimately reinforces the enemy- the state- at the same time as it tries to destroy it” (440). Essentially, he feels that by combating terrorism, nations reinforce more state power and inhibit individual liberties. To an extent, this is true. Hoffman states that “the crackdown on terror allows them to tighten...
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