Wolf why globalization works

All the topics he addresses. The definitive treatment of the subject, and an absorbing read for anybody with an appetite for moderate intellectual exertion. Why Globalization Works. For those of us concerned with one of the most far-reaching issues of our time, this elegant and passionate defense of trade liberalization is essential reading.

It is informed, careful in its dissection of the arguments and well written. Essential reading for those who would like to understand the real problems facing us. Why Globalization Works is a wonderful alchemy of accessible prose and academic rigor.

Drezner, International Journal. Elegantly and persuasively, Wolf marshals the facts. A wealth of material on every page. Skip to main content. Please ensure you're using that browser before attempting to purchase.

Description Reviews Awards Table of Contents. Out of Print The debate on globalization has reached a level of intensity that inhibits comprehension and obscures the issues. Also of Interest More from this Author.

Ben Kiernan. Toward the New Millennium. Yevgeny Primakov; Translated by Felix Rosenthal. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that Wolf contradicts the critics of globalization as transnational corporations are not and will not be more powerful than states. For him, the alleged "tyranny of brands" is "much ado about nothing" Transnational corporations neither exploit poor countries nor their workers.

Even though his language often shows excitement and anger, disapproval and affection, Wolf continuously presents strong statistical evidence supporting his defense of globalization. However, there is one decisive weakness in his central argument, as it could easily be turned around: In the 20 th century, the world did fall into totalitarianism, two world wars, the Holocaust, and the Cold War, because modernized societies did not manage to convince their citizens that in the end they would profit adequately from free trade.

Wolf seems to underestimate this risk when he assumes it could simply be cured by more free trade and a consequent rise in welfare. To be sure, the absolute level of material welfare alone is not a precise predictor of citizens' overall life satisfaction, political support, and their susceptibility to the temptations of demagogues.

Many historical examples show that the relationship between welfare and citizens' acceptance of institutions is [End Page ] more complicated. In the citizen's view, social change and economic development lead to both a rise in general welfare and more uncertainty about what to consider normatively correct and desirable concerning new role expectations in the age of globalization.

Both effects occur simultaneously within societies — and as consequences of globalization in general, as in a globalized world we have to adjust to new situations more often than ever before.

From its beginnings, sociologists have warned us of this seemingly contradictory development in the process of modernization. In his "Roses. A social hypothesis", Georg Simmel exemplifies how more equal and widespread participation in desirable goods may surprisingly lead to a sharp rise in social awareness of remaining inequalities.

Such welfare dissatisfaction may cause such protests as the contemporary anti-globalization movement. This is the paradox of the globalization age: citizens of Western nations are anything but poor. Prosperity is — even though slower than in recent decades — still on the rise from year to year. Nevertheless, it seems that dissatisfaction with social change has risen dramatically since the 's. Nevertheless, Wolf is right when he stresses the potentially beneficial consequences of globalization.

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