Globalization. Blessing or Curse.

             With the spread of Internet and expansion of multinational corporations we are facing a new powerful notion such as globalization. It seems that globalization brought us so many more beautiful and promising opportunities, like studying abroad, traveling world wide, being able to acquire any kind of information from the Internet, and etc. However, globalization brought us some difficult challenges as well. For governments of many Muslim countries, westoxication became a big challenge that led to the Arab Spring. Also, for many developed countries the ability for businesses to outsource became another problem. One of the greatest examples of the dilemma that was caused by globalization is discussed in Robert Denemark’s Case study “ Globalization: France, Nazis, and the Internet.”

            Since Yahoo’s headquarters is in the United States, it represents standards and norms of the home country. United States is best known for its democracy, which is most prominently represented by capitalism, individualism, self-reliance, free market system and a freedom of speech. On the other hand, France has control over its markets, maintains limits of what people can say, and is heavily reliant on its neighbors with in the European Union. Here we already see what kind of differences and potential issues can possibly be in between France and Yahoo with its American values. In the Pew Case Study #282 “France, Nazis, and the Internet” by Robert Denemark, France is trying to sue Yahoo for auctioning Nazi memorabilia because  “[t]he French consider such symbols inappropriate in an enlightened society and an offense against the nation” (Denemark, 1).  Is it just French enlightened ethical reasons that make them afraid of any memories of Nazis or it is more likely to be just a sheer mask that covers a bigger and more problematic issues that French are afraid to admit even to themselves and their own nation? “Societies with conservative moral codes, closed political systems, and vulnerable economies may view such transparency as a threat,” says Robert D. and he is absolutely right in this case. Besides being destroyed and ruined by Nazis, France has a long history of being allied with them as well as strongly supporting neo-Nazi political parties that are against immigration and racial mixing. Now it’s clear that France is more afraid of its own people’s political stands than possible jeopardy of enlightened principles. It is also afraid that freedom of buying Nazi memorabilia can possibly spur further development and popularity of already existing neo-Nazi political parties. If I was a judge and had to make a decision in favor of France or Yahoo I would’ve done exactly the same thing as the US did when Yahoo came to it for help. I would let Yahoo to decide of whether or not it wants to stop auctioning the memorabilia and possibly loose one of his market places. I wouldn’t require Yahoo of taking the product off the site, because it’s not about Yahoo in this case, but it is about France and its internal problems. France has to be able to face its own issues and be able to solve them with in the country and by stopping Yahoo selling the memorabilia it will not prevent neo-Nazi parties from growing, but will only create a black market for such demands.

         In this case economic world of Yahoo collides with cultural and possibly political world of France. Yahoo is interested in selling these memorabilia because it brings it high profits. On the other hand, France is afraid of distribution of such product because their internal political as well as cultural “stability” can be disturbed by Nazi memorabilia that can stimulate growth of racist politico-cultural attitudes. It is not the first neither the last example where different worlds/spheres of our lives collide in the era of globalization. For example, high growing rates of globalization and multinational corporations have tremendously destructive impact on our environment and irreversible global warming. We happily enjoy new developments of high technological gadgets, widgets, etc. that make our life so much more comfortable. On the other hand, endless landfills, plastic and techno-industrial trash all contribute to our huge payment for our pleasures as a global warming. It is important to realize if someone’s new Iphone is worth his or her newly developed asthma, or if a dirt-cheap wireless Internet is worth the near future skyrocketing prices of water.

     Problems and benefits of globalization is a hot topic for debates in nowadays. It is difficult to figure out how to manage and regulate it, since our international system is still in the anarchic state with no world leader to control.