The World at (not so) Large...

An increasingly popular term doing the rounds doing is describing the world as the “global village”. We can now not only fly around the world in around a day, give or take a few hours – less if the Concorde was still operating. It’s possible to know what is happening n the opposite side of the world in real-time, global migration there are a decreasing number of mono-cultural nations around the world and political boundaries are nothing more little hurdles easily traversed by the giants of the political and economic sectors. Even that last comment I made is a bit of a misnomer, because when one considers the evident relationship between global political and economic powers we have to ask where one draws a line between economic and political matters.

While I am neither an expert nor even a formal student of the political and/or economic sciences but observation and various catalytic experiences have led me to ask some questions about the world we live in today. One article I recently came across rang true for me and was one of the recent catalysts encouraging this train of thought. The article, called “The Metamorphoses of Colonialism” by Jeremy Seabrook (see http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/post/poldiscourse/seabrook1.html) traces the history of colonialism around the world and then discusses the subtle and more developed form that it has taken in the present-day, namely globalisation. This is at times a misunderstood term and perhaps one of those terms where some attempt to shape the meaning to suit their purposes (this would not be the first time). The Collins dictionary suggests that it is “process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improved communications”. Many say that this has benefited many because of the ability to trade internationally.

Another way of seeing it though is by taking into account who are the ones controls those markets and communication channels or systems – international economic markets are centred around London and New York, with major communication networks owned by and controlled in the UK and USA. With this kind of control those we have seen the gap between the

So what is the effect of this? This global village has become more and more like a feudal village where the many are disenfranchised in order to serve the wants of the few. To put it in tangible terms, “the income ratio of the one-fifth of the world’s population in the wealthiest countries to the one-fifth in the poorest countries went from 30 to 1 in 1960 to 74 to 1 in 1995”.

What is this all about?

As I’ve said in the description for this blog I have been fortunate enough to live (not just travel to) on 2 continents other than my own over the past 2 years. I specified lived as opposed to travel, because I believe you see things a bit differently when you stay in one place for a while. Does that mean I have all the answers? Definitely not. I also realise that some have seen, been to and lived in more places that I have in my life and that’s why I have hesitated somewhat to use the world (global).

That said I hope to thrash out a few things I have observed, learnt and questioned along the way. I know some will probably disagree with where my stance on some things and to date I have already had people tell me “that’s the way things are”. I guess maybe I’m just too stubborn, pig-headed or “harregat” (you may understand that if you are South African) to simply accept things as they are. My suggestion is let’s ask some questions and see where they take us…

While this wasn't my plan I find it somewhat, or at the very least interesting, that I'm posting this first entry on the 5th anniversary of a very visible and illegal actions by the nation whose actions and policies that some would say have contributed significantly to the global challenges we face today... The action in question is the US-led invasion of Iraq...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_19,_2003