Globalization and Security

Globalization, which began a few decades ago, is now the ideal representation of the new world. With the equitable convergence of individual populations to shape global economic, political, and cultural structures, the borderless society is becoming a reality. The concept has been modified to suit the different fields in which it is applied, including history, human geography, economics, and political science. Globalization is a form of capitalism that elicits a variety of reactions from both supporters and detractors. This is particularly true when it comes to global security. The 21st century has experienced its share of global insecurity incidents which begs the question whether globalization is actually to blame and what can be done to control the trend. In this regard, terrorism and poverty are relevant issues when analyzing the relationship between globalization and insecurity in the 21st century.

Globalization has greatly contributed the state of the modern world. Despite the insecurity argument, there are a variety of benefits that have accrued as a result of globalization. Globalization is a representation of free trade which is beneficial since it promotes global economic growth thus creating millions of jobs in addition to making companies more competitive and lowering the final process of goods. Globalization has also accelerated the spread of technology around the world and has also helped spread the ideals of democracy thus fostering the respect for human rights. The worldwide market for business firms and consumers has improved access to products from around the world. Cultural harmonization is also a positive effect of globalization with different cultures spreading around. Increased tolerance due to the spread of cultures can also be attributed to globalization (Collins).

Security concerns are a real problem when it comes to the process of globalization. This is because insecurity has associated costs that are relevant in an economic sense. They include direct costs such as arming and destruction and indirect costs that include deformations in consumption, investment, and production (Garfinkel, Skaperdas, and Syropoulos 1). In this context, domestic insecurity and interstate insecurity must be taken into consideration. The increase in social conflict within domestic borders has increased greatly over the past few decades with civil wars in 73 countries since the end of World War II. Social conflict which includes strikes, protests, military coups, and ethnic/ religious/ class conflict all have an association with the globalization of Western ideals of freedom and human rights. According to Garfinkel et. al. (9), two factors of production, land, and labor, are the basis of the model of globalization and insecurity.

The most prominent example of the connection between globalization and insecurity is terrorism. Elites in a country begin to internalize the integration perspective in order to fit in the global order once a country enters the system of globalization. This is usually the start of the conflict between differing worldviews. Global terrorism has seemingly increased with the advent of the globalization movement. Between 1968 and 1989, incidents of terrorism around the world were at 1.673 per year. However, between 1990 and 1996, after the Cold War, the rate of terrorism around the world shot to 4.389 per year. Modern terrorism targets civilians rather than governments as was the case in the past (Coker). Globalization also encourages religious extremism. This is especially the case with global Islamic extremist organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS. Globalization has led to the spread of Western culture around the world which includes Islamic nations. Most Islamic extremists view Western influence as paganism. The terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies are meant to curb the exportation of Western values.

Religious terrorism which increased a great deal towards the end of the 20th century is a negative reaction towards the challenges that accompany globalization. Globalization basically undermines traditional religious values in societies since it is preoccupied with spreading Western ideals. The secularism spread by the West threatens local cultures and religions that are exposed to the world. This threat is what breeds rebellions based on religion. Globalization has also indirectly hastened the proliferation of religious extremism around the world. Globalization is usually linked with the spread of modern technology across the globe. Modern communication and transportation technologies have made it possible for terrorism to spread. Terrorists can easily communicate with each other and spread their message across geographical boundaries which means they can reach out to potential recruits (Stibli 5). The internet and social networking sites have served this purpose perfectly. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has been able to recruit members from around the world through modern forms of communication.

Radical Islam flourishes due to globalization. The extremists wish to construct a world order based the fundamental values of Islam in order to counter the western influence which they regard as poisonous to the society. As such, the danger to globalization does not come from integrated elites but rather from social and economic groups that are unable to take part in the globalization process. The result is the production of political pathologies that are basically anti- global. Religious provides the perfect instrument for such groups to express themselves. The wish to protect traditional cultures often translates to a fight against Americanization. The result of Islamic extremism has been the military engagement of the United States in the Middle East. This has heightened the level of insecurity in the world further (Wright).

The connection between globalization and poverty is usually a complex one with empirical data available for supporters and critics of the negative impact of globalization with regard to poverty. As more countries continue integrating into the global economy, poverty rates are gradually decreasing. In countries such as India and China, millions have actually been raised from poverty. The openness associated with globalization has led to greater access to capital and opportunities for the poor in developing countries. Essentially, economic growth and the reduction of poverty is apparent in countries that participate in the global economy as compared to those who opt to remain isolated (Molloy).

The apparent positive impact of globalization on poverty in developing nations is challenged by the fact that globalization increases inequality in poor countries. The Gini index which measures income inequality has risen by 9 percent between 1993 and 2008 in Sub- Saharan Africa while the same score has risen by 34 percent in China over the past two decades. This is an indication of the rising levels of inequality due to globalization. The rising levels of inequality can be explained by the outsourcing phenomenon. Multinationals often shift their production function to poor countries where the cost of labor is relatively cheap as compared to manufacturing in developed nations. Such multinational corporations usually engage highly skilled workers and compensation is usually high. However, unskilled workers in the developing countries don’t have similar opportunities to earn a higher income. The result is that globalization boosts wages of skilled workers while simultaneously driving those of unskilled workers down. This results in inequality. The poor, unskilled workers do not, therefore, benefit from gains from trade (Harrison 3).

Poverty and inequality have led to the rise of insecurity in some cases. A good example in this regard is the case of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram means “Western Education is Forbidden” and its growth can be attributed to both aspects discussed in this paper. The infiltration of globalization in Nigeria has threatened traditional culture especially among the Islamic inhabitants of the northern region. The resistance against western education is an illustration of resistance against the western influence in their society. The aspect of poverty also comes in. Globalization has led to economic dislocations in Nigeria which have left inhabitants of the northern region in abject poverty. The consequent loss of economic and social status has attracted such individuals to join the extremist movement (Lutz and Lutz 210).

The insecurity as a result of globalization is an event that is largely uncontrollable as long as globalization and capitalization are still the dominant philosophies in world politics. The relentless spreading of Western ideals is usually the cause of retaliation from groups. The current wave of terrorist attacks in mainland Europe is an indication of the state of globalization- linked terrorism. However, the issue of poverty is one that can be dealt with sufficiently. In this case, it is up to national governments to formulate and implement policies that will ensure that the unskilled workers also benefit from globalization. This would prevent discontent among certain groups that eventually develops into insecurity as is the case in northern Nigeria.

Works Cited

Coker, Christopher. ”Globalization and Terrorism.” The Prospects for the Canadian Summit. 10 June 2002. Web. 20 May 2017.

Collins, Mike. ”The Pros and Cons of Globalization.” Forbes. 6 May 2015. Web. 20 May 2017.

Garfinkel, Michelle R., Skaperdas, Stergios, and Syropoulos, Constantinos. ”Globalization and Insecurity: Reviewing Some Basic Issues.” CESifo Conference. July 2008. Web. 20 May 2017.

Harrison, Ann. ”Globalization and Poverty.” NBER Working Paper No. 12347, 1-5.

Lutz, Brenda J., and Lutz, James M. ”Globalization and Terrorism in the Middle East.” Perspectives on Terrorism, 9.5: 201- 215

Molloy, Baylee. ”Does Globalization Harm the Poor?” Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. 4 April 2016. Web. 20 May 2017.

Stibli, Florin. ”Terrorism in the context of globalization.” AARMS, 9.1 (2010): 1- 7.

Wright, Robert. ”A Real War on Terrorism.” Slate. 11 September 2002. Web. 20 May 2017.