Mr. Globalization and the protestors

Here we go again.\nIn scenes reminiscent of Seattle and Edinburgh, Scotland, anti- G-8 protesters in Rostock, Germany, this past week turned violent. They found creative ways to assault police officers and attacked the hotel where the American delegation was rumored to be staying. Talks about global warming, anti-AIDS and poverty efforts in Africa and the world economy were said to be on the agenda.\nSo what crime had the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel committed to deserve this?\nApparently, hosting a conference of one’s colleagues from the United States, Italy, France, Japan, Russia, Canada and England was enough to warrant protests that nearly turned into riots.\nThe protesters’ main concern seems to be that globalization creates inequitable growth and does not provide enough opportunities for the less fortunate to better themselves.\nLet’s explore that for a moment.\nA random Google search on globalization yields some interesting results.\nOne of the first stories that pops up is one that details the effect of globalization on the state of Minnesota. So now we know exactly how much the working class in Minneapolis and other communities have suffered as a result of the mean, greedy corporations, right?\nWrong.\nThe value of Minnesota’s manufactured goods exports rose 10.1 percent in the last year and 57 percent in the last five years. Overall, the state’s exports to other countries were valued at $24.2 billion last year. Oh, the humanity!\nBut sarcasm aside for a moment, globalization has another surprising and very positive result: increased diversity.\nIn no place is this more obvious than Japan. In a country that used to pride itself on workplace homogeneity, “daiba-shitii” – or diversity – is the new name of the game.\nFor example, of the 750 new employees hired by Matsushita Electric last year, 30 were non-Japanese. Of the 100 non-engineering positions, more than half were filled by women.\nOh my! Increased opportunities for minorities and women! Will globalization’s carnage never end?\nI could go on, but the pattern is obvious: Globalization means increased economic value and opportunities for underrepresented minorities.\nIf one goes back to Rostock to ask the protestors their solution, one will undoubtedly be met with silence.\nAccording to leaflets handed out on the streets, the protestors want to protest against the G-8 world and show the alternatives. What might those alternatives be?\nThe leaflets were a bit lacking when it came to specifics. Like their colleagues in Seattle and Edinburgh, these protestors are heavy on rhetoric and light on substance. Their angry rants about “corporate greed,” annoying sit-ins and rioting might look good on the news but do not solve the world’s economic problems.\nThe fact is globalization is here to stay. The protesting Marxists, unions and nationalists may not like it, but we are living in a world very different from the one where our parents grew up.\nThe world will be better off the sooner we recognize that fact and move forward.