Globalization: The End of Sovereignty

In the 21st century, civilization has become increasingly interconnected on a global scale. More than ever before, the  success of any nation now depends on the success of all others. This new world emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the system of American capitalism became unrivaled. Combined with a long-term push towards "free-trade" policies, the new-found dominance of capitalism tore down economic barriers between nations. Corporations became international, with no preference between nations other than the maximization of their profits. This trend towards a global economy will have profound consequences that we are beginning to deal with today. Although globalization has yielded some clear benefits, there are many serious problems with the current direction of global politics that need to be addressed.

The most serious danger of globalization is that it threatens to end national sovereignty. For a nation to govern itself independently, following the principle of self-determination, it must have control over its own economic system. All nations are different, and the same economic system might be beneficial to one while being detrimental to another. History is filled with examples of nations trying to impose their own economic system on other nations, and this often leads to social unrest and war. The leaders of such an aggressor nation might believe that their economic system would benefit other nations, but their true motivation is likely the furthering of their own interests. The United States is no exception. Our politicians praise American-style capitalism with utopian rhetoric, while we impose it on other nations through wars that were planned explicitly to further our own interests. In nations like Greece, where capitalism is no longer working, we can already see the rise of extreme politics on both ends of the political spectrum. Because Greece is so tightly connected to other capitalist nations, it has no other option but to satisfy the demands of the global market at the expense of its own people. Whether by the force of an army or of economic influence, the most vulnerable nations in the world are now being oppressed by the global system of capitalism.

The nations that control an economic system also control the natural resources in that system. This provides even more incentive for nations to spread an economic system that works in their favor. With the increasing scarcity of energy resources, particularly oil, the trend of globalization has dark implications. Controlling energy resources will soon mean the difference between modern life and a collapse into pre-industrial society. If the principles of sovereignty and democracy were still valued, the natural resources of every nation would be controlled democratically by their own population. Instead, we live in a world where the oil flows towards whoever has the most money and guns. When American politicians speak of securing oil production for the world market, they are talking about asserting capitalism's control over the natural resources of other nations. We have taken our role as the "Arsenal of Democracy" for granted, forgetting that it was justified by a commitment to the sovereignty of all nations. Motivated by either a lack of empathy or the fear of reprisal, we are now committed to the strategy of domination.

Map of Occupy protests, 2011

Fortunately, there is some good news about the effects of globalization. As the world has become more economically interconnected, it has also become more socially interconnected due to advances in communication technology. The internet has revolutionized the way people interact, and its implications for society are only beginning to be seen. Future historians may one day view the internet as a modern printing press, an invention that radically democratized the spread of information. The ubiquity of mobile phones has also contributed to today's wired society, allowing us carry a connection to the network with us wherever we go. With a political system designed in the 18th century, modern government seems completely unprepared to handle the new political consciousness that is being facilitated by modern networks. Combined with an economic crisis that has persisted for years now, modern communication has given rise to protest movements that transcend national borders. Both the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement would have been impossible before the era of globalization. People are beginning to see themselves as victims of a system that is larger than any single nation, which brings the realization that their problems cannot be solved by any one nation alone. Whether it is the economic crisis, peak oil, or global warming, the problems of the 21st century require global solutions. It seems inevitable that globalization will continue, regardless of how many protest movements spring up in defiance. There is only one question: Will the global system save civilization, or will it make us all fight each other for the scraps of its collapse?