Globalization
The latest bilateral initiative between India and the US is called KTI – Knowledge Trade Initiative. From the paper jointly prepared by FICCI and USIBC (US-India Business Council), I extract the following definition of globalization.
It is the integration of world markets that facilitates raising and producing capital at lowest possible cost and selling it where it is most profitable.
Is globalization – the mantra of the 21st century - that simple? I wish to bring out another facet of it, namely, the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and the avian bird flu (H5N1 strain).
SARS killed almost 300 people and infected another 3000. The index case (the first case) was a Hong Kong doctor and in a jiffy, it spread to the shores of the Atlantic.
The bird flu strain first appeared on the poultry farms in China in 1996. Till December of last year, over 130 people had been infected and more than 65 died and let’s not forget the countless poultry culled so far. Recently Russia, Nigeria and Denmark have also reported cases. The domino effect is at work whereby infected birds (perhaps) shed the virus into water thereby infecting others.
This goes to show that even diseases have taken a cue from the forces of ‘globalization’ rampant in the field of economies and are now dancing to its tune. I wish the sole superpower in today’s global village would spend some of its time in solving the mystery (yes, it still is) of how migratory birds are spreading the flu from Asia instead of chasing Iran.
US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice recently requested Congress to spare $85 million (only) up from $10 million to fund a democracy promotion campaign in Iran targetting Trade Unions, NGOs and political dissidents. In light of the recent Rainbow Revolutions in former Soviet Republics, I am afraid that Uncle Sam is going to continue with all guns blazing.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky made me fall in love (forever) with Russia and I am proud to state that Putin will be hosting a delegation of HAMAS next month. What a contrast across the Bering Strait!
It is the integration of world markets that facilitates raising and producing capital at lowest possible cost and selling it where it is most profitable.
Is globalization – the mantra of the 21st century - that simple? I wish to bring out another facet of it, namely, the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and the avian bird flu (H5N1 strain).
SARS killed almost 300 people and infected another 3000. The index case (the first case) was a Hong Kong doctor and in a jiffy, it spread to the shores of the Atlantic.
The bird flu strain first appeared on the poultry farms in China in 1996. Till December of last year, over 130 people had been infected and more than 65 died and let’s not forget the countless poultry culled so far. Recently Russia, Nigeria and Denmark have also reported cases. The domino effect is at work whereby infected birds (perhaps) shed the virus into water thereby infecting others.
This goes to show that even diseases have taken a cue from the forces of ‘globalization’ rampant in the field of economies and are now dancing to its tune. I wish the sole superpower in today’s global village would spend some of its time in solving the mystery (yes, it still is) of how migratory birds are spreading the flu from Asia instead of chasing Iran.
US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice recently requested Congress to spare $85 million (only) up from $10 million to fund a democracy promotion campaign in Iran targetting Trade Unions, NGOs and political dissidents. In light of the recent Rainbow Revolutions in former Soviet Republics, I am afraid that Uncle Sam is going to continue with all guns blazing.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky made me fall in love (forever) with Russia and I am proud to state that Putin will be hosting a delegation of HAMAS next month. What a contrast across the Bering Strait!
posted by optimism at 2:37 PM
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