Globalization, Chiapas and the Zapatistas

In this paper, I will evaluate globalization and show how its negative effects are widespread: how it affected Chiapas and how the Zapatistas fought back, how it affects South American women working on the banana republics and how it ravages the environment.

The idea of globalization is a greatly misconstrued, detrimental policy to those countries and people outside of the North American sphere of life. Corporations are globalizing not only to reduce production costs, but also to expand markets, evade taxes, acquire knowledge and resources, and protect themselves against currency fluctuations and other risks (Brecher and Costello 18). Three hundred companies own an estimated one-quarter of the production assets of the world and the richest fifth receives 82.7% of the total world income (Brecher and Costello 29). The gap between rich and poor is increasing worldwide: almost one-third of the population of developing countries, 1.3 billion people, live in absolute poverty- to poor to provide the minimum diet required for full human functioning (Brecher and Costello 24).

The driving force of the marketplace is competition: sales go to the company who offers the lowest price. This alone is not a maligned process as prices are lower and there is improved efficiency in production. But when corporations and governments lower costs by reducing environmental protection, wages, salaries, health care and education, the result can be malevolent- "a downward leveling" of environmental, labor an social conditions (Brecher and Costello 20).

The most prevalent symptom of globalization is the reduction in labor, social and environmental conditions that results directly from global competition for jobs and investment (Brecher and Costello 22). As the workforce seeks to become "more competitive" by reducing its wages and social and environmental overheads, income, social and material infrastructures deteriorate. Lower wages and reduced public spending mean less buying power leading to stagnation, recession and unemployment (Brecher and Costello 25).

Globalization has detrimental effects on every aspect of life, whether domestic or on the world-stage. The advent of NAFTA resulted in the creation of a free-trade agreement amongst the United States, Canada and Mexico. An anti-NAFTA coalition was formed in the indigent Mexican state of Chiapas (New Statesman and Soci...

... middle of paper ...

...oving their factories to foreign countries, they exploit the local cheap labor, doing nothing to alleviate their squalor. The creation of NAFTA led to an uprising by the Zapatistas who refused to be subjected to the exploitation of globalization. The women working in the 'banana republics' are an example of large companies taking advantage of the typically uneducated locals, whom they pay below the sustenance level. One of the most devastating, irreparable effects of globalization is its effects on the environment.

A company often reduces its costs by cutting back on environmental protection- a company does not filter or treat its chemical or toxic waste products; rather, they dump them into rivers, lakes and other waterways. The production of toxic gases deteriorates the ozone layer. Globalization may help those fortunate enough to live in the large industrialized, former imperialist countries, but it does nothing to help the extremely poor of the Third World. There is a certain extent at which one must question if his/her luxury and excess comfort is worth the exploitation of so many. Globalization is a policy of apocryphal benefits that inflicts more damage than it helps.