Mar 20, 2006
Last night I was walking to my one of my favorite restaurants with my brother and we were discussing many things, from relationships to income, where to live and what's going on with China and globalization.
Right now I feel as though China's impending "dominance" will be unlike any we've seen - in the sense that I don't believe they'll rule the world as other nations have in the past. While they do have strength in numbers, their growth is due in large part to foreign investment, both in money and minds. I find it hard to believe that China will be able to dominate over other countries without harming itself by scaring away foreign brains and money. More to the point, their growth is also a result of companies who source parts for a single product from 30 different countries. China will enter the game at a point where the level of interdependence is so high that it's ability to exert force will be mitigated. [I'll pontificate more on this later]
This conversation led to my thoughts on an issue that I talked at length about with Nimrod while I was in Australia in December/January. The idea is that at this early stage of globalization, many communities & countries are focusing more on competition for industry than the well-being of their community - and as such, are lowering the quality of life for their citizens today... Here in the U.S., counties have given a new definition to Eminent Domain by trying to take private property in order to give it to private corporations. Luckly it's been stopped in a few places.
In the not too distant future though, I believe there will be a healthy fight between commuinties to attract people to live in their communities - because borders will be more fluid. This will stifle globalization at first - because people will be incented to stay at home. But in the end I believe it will allow more people to live in a greater variety of places around the world. Further homogenizing the human race, both in physical, and social respects.
This article which Courtney brought me today talks about how brain-drain is coming full circle as countries such as Taiwan and Israel are winning out. Many of their citizens who left to study or become entrepreneurs are returning home.
"Once peripheral, Taiwan and Israe now host the largest venutre captial industries outside the U.S."
Stumble
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