Alternatives to Economic Globalization

by John Cavanagh, Jerry Manders

Overview

Written by a premier group of 21 thinkers from around the world, the second edition of Alternatives to Economic Globalization lays out democratic, ecologically sound, socially just alternatives to corporate globalization more fully, specifically, and thoughtfully than has ever been done before. Focusing on constructive, achievable goals, the authors present ten governing principles for establishing truly sustainable societies and describe alternatives to the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO that would better serve the needs of the planet. They offer detailed proposals for protecting vital goods and services from corporate exploitation, limiting corporate privileges and power, rebuilding economies to make them more responsive to human needs, and more. This revised and expanded edition features a new opening chapter on the global balance of power, a new section on the media and globalization, and a new final chapter on what ordinary citizens can do to fight the injustices of globalization. It also includes many new charts, sidebars, and other updated information.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609943141
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	431
File size:	921 KB

About the Author

John Cavanagh is director of the Institute for Policy Studies, vice president of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) Board of Directors, and coauthor of eleven books, including Global Dreams. The International Forum on Globalization (IFG) is an alliance of leading activists, scholars, economists, researchers, and writers—representing 60 organizations in 25 countries—that was formed in 1994 to stimulate new thinking, joint activity, and public education in response to economic globalization. Writing in The Nation, Naomi Klein called IFG “the brain trust of the [anti-globalization] movement,” and the Utne Reader dubbed IFG “the Davids of corporate globalization.”

Table of Contents

	List of Boxes	ix
	Preface to the Second Edition	xi
	A Living Document	xv
	Acknowledgments	xvi
	A Note on Sources	xvii
	Introduction: Turning Point	1
	Cancun: The Outbreak of Democracy	3
	Miami: Regime Change in Latin America	6
	Iraq: The Failure of Empire	8
	New Awakenings	14
Part 1	A System in Crisis	17
1.	Conflicting Worldviews	19
	Different Worlds	21
	Economic Democracy	25
	Momentum for Change	28
2.	Design for Corporate Rule	32
	Key Ingredients of the Globalization Model	34
	Hypergrowth	34
	Privatization and Commodification	36
	Economic and Cultural Homogenization	38
	Export-Oriented Trade and Investment	38
	Beneficiaries of Economic Globalization	44
	The Role of the Media	52
3.	The Unholy Trinity: The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organizatio	55
	The World Bank	56
	The International Monetary Fund	60
	The World Trade Organization	65
	Proposals	73
Part 2	Alternatives in Action	75
4.	Ten Principles for Sustainable Societies	77
	Core Principles	78
1.	New Democracy	79
2.	Subsidiarity	82
3.	Ecological Sustainability	85
4.	Common Heritage	87
5.	Diversity	88
6.	Human Rights	96
7.	Jobs, Livelihood, Employment	97
8.	Food Security and Safety	98
9.	Equity	98
10.	The Precautionary Principle	100
	Applying the Principles to Globalization	103
5.	Reclaiming the Commons: What Should Be Off-Limits to Globalization?	105
	Understanding the Commons	107
	Current Threats to the Commons	109
	The Tradition of the Commons	124
	Threats to the Modern Commons	131
	Three Proposals to Reempower the Commons	136
6.	Subsidiarity: Recalling Power from the Global	147
	Understanding Subsidiarity	149
	The Road to the Local	151
	Investment and Finance Issues	155
	Response to Critics of Subsidiarity	160
7.	Alternative Operating Systems	164
	Energy Systems	165
	Transportation Systems	179
	Manufacturing Systems	188
	Standards of Measurement	198
8.	Alternative Operating Systems (2)	209
	Agriculture and Food Systems	209
	Global Media	230
	People's Alternative Initiatives	253
Part 3	Global Governance	269
9.	Corporate Structure and Power	271
	Corporate Structure Today	274
	Citizen Actions Against Corporate Power	280
	Ending Corporate--State Collusion	290
	Toward Alternative Business Structures	294
10.	New International Structures	301
	A Review of the Current Situation	302
	Essential Rules of a Just and Sustainable International Trade and Finance System	309
	Restructuring the Institutional Framework	314
	Strengthening the Countervailing Powers of the U.N. System	321
	Creating New Global Institutions	324
11.	Global to Local: What You Can Do	333
	Steps You Can Take as a Consumer	334
	Steps You Can Take as a Worker	337
	Steps You Can Take as a Depositor and Investor	339
	Steps You Can Take as a Citizen	340
	Resources: Groups Working Toward Alternatives to Economic Globalization	347
	Resources: Useful Tools and Indicators	367
	Sources	369
	Index	383
	About the Authors	403
	About the International Forum on Globalization (IFG)	407