Political Science · Ch 7 — Globalisation
Resistance to Globalisation
Resistance to Globalisation
Globalisation is a deeply contentious subject, and resistance to it has come from many directions. Critics are not a single group — they include voices from the political left, the political right, and a wide range of social movements. Each makes a different argument, but all share a common anxiety about the effects of globalisation.
Criticism from the left focuses on economic inequality. The argument is that contemporary globalisation represents a particular phase of global capitalism — one that makes the rich richer (and fewer in number) while making the poor poorer. A key concern is the weakening of the state. When the state loses capacity, it can no longer protect the interests of its poorest citizens. The left sees globalisation as a force that deepens existing inequalities rather than reducing them.
Criticism from the political right expresses anxiety on three fronts — political, economic, and cultural. Politically, the right also fears the weakening of the state. Economically, they want a return to self-reliance and protectionism, at least in certain areas of the economy. Culturally, they worry that traditional culture will be harmed and that people will lose their age-old values and ways of life. The right’s resistance is not about inequality but about sovereignty, national identity, and cultural preservation.
A striking feature of anti-globalisation movements is that they themselves use global networks. They ally with like-minded groups in other countries, sharing strategies and building solidarity across borders. In this sense, they are global in method even when they are critical of globalisation’s content.
Many anti-globalisation movements are not opposed to the idea of globalisation as such. What they oppose is a specific programme of globalisation — one they see as a form of imperialism. The target is not global interconnectedness, but the particular economic and political agenda that powerful states and corporations push.
Two major examples illustrate this resistance:
- Seattle protests, 1999 — At the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in Seattle, widespread protests erupted. The protesters alleged unfair trading practices by economically powerful states. The core argument was that the interests of the developing world were not given sufficient importance in the evolving global economic system. …