Transcript Slide 1
What’s a Christian to think? an attempt at a Christian view about globalization Bruce Duggan Nov 2011 a disclaimer: this isn’t a class an attempt at a Christian view about globalization Goal an attempt at a Christian view about globalization 1. follower of Jesus biblical texts previous Christian thinkers Spirit mind 2. carried out in action A Short Survey 1. When considering buying a good or product, what characteristics do you prefer it to have? local personal small hand-made natural global impersonal big machine-made artificial A Short Survey LOCALIST local personal small hand-made natural GLOBALIST global impersonal big machine-made artificial A Short Survey 2. Think of what you’ve consumed in the last 24 hours. local personal small hand-made natural global impersonal big machine-made artificial Where do those goods or services fall on these continuums? A Short Survey 3. Consider all the things you carried with you into this room—including your clothing. local personal small hand-made natural global impersonal big machine-made artificial What percentage of those things are over on the left, and how many on the right? A Short Survey 4. How close did you find your stated preferences are to your actions? local personal small hand-made natural global impersonal big machine-made artificial What are we to think? Possible explanations: we are oppressed we are compelled Possible Explanations We are oppressed The author of Ephesians writes: ‘Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world...’ This is the language the American and British governments have used about terrorists, but…it is used more appropriately of the structure of world trade, and especially of the MNCs [MultiNational Corporations]… Timothy Gorringe Principalities & Powers: A Framework for Thinking about Globalization 2004 Possible Explanations We are oppressed ‘These people are trading in human misery. Elliott Associates are picking over the bones of the Peruvian economy like a pack vultures. It may be just business to them but to the children of Peru it is school books, medicines and clean water.’ This is the reality of globalization, the true nature of the global market. Gorringe Principalities & Powers… Possible Explanations We are oppressed [R]edemption will have to deal not only with the weakness of flesh and blood, but with the strength of principalities and powers. Beyond the feeble and short-lived individual towers the social group as a super-personal entity.… [T]hese super-personal forces….are to us what demonic personalities were to earlier Christian minds. Walter Rauschenbusch A Theology for the Social Gospel 1917 Possible Explanations We are oppressed In the North we are no longer ‘citizens’ but ‘consumers’. To consume is to devour, to destroy. The consumer society is devouring the earth. Gorringe ibid Possible Explanations We are oppressed and, simultaneously, we oppress The world trade system is unjust…. Increased exports also lead to environmental destruction and disintegration of communities…. Economic globalisation leads to structural violence… World Council of Churches Economic Globalization A Critical View and an Alternative Vision: Dossier 6 2001 Justice, Peace and Creation team, World Council of Churches Economic Globalization – A Critical View and an Alternative Vision Dossier 6 Possible Explanations We are compelled American demand for goods and services is not organic. That is, the demands are not internally created by a consumer.…[D]emands are created by advertisers and the "machinery for consumerdemand creation" that benefit from increased consumer spending. John Kenneth Galbraith The Affluent Society 1958 Possible Explanations We are compelled Americans are beyond apologizing for their lifestyle of scorched-earth consumerism….Global consumer culture? Supersize it, baby….Time was, decadence on this scale was something to fear…. But somehow….[w]e have decided not to avoid decadence but to embrace it. Harry Flood “Manufacturing Desire” Adbusters 2000 Possible Explanations We are compelled I say that ‘consumerism’ is a piece of false consciousness, and indeed a tool for our continued and growing enslavement. Rupert Read One World Column 2011 Possible Explanations We are compelled The Story of Stuff 16min 18sec Possible Explanations We are compelled Possible Explanations We are oppressed and, simultaneously, we oppress We are compelled Engels Paul false consciousness sin “education” grace Possible Explanations We are oppressed and, simultaneously, we oppress We are compelled Engels Paul false consciousness sin “education” grace Why do I disagree? • flawed application of biblical texts • “false consciousness” is a flawed idea • globalization is not oppression • flawed application of biblical texts Ephesians 6:12 isn’t about human institutions • biblical texts don’t see global trade as wrong • • flawed application of biblical texts • Ephesians 6:12 isn’t about human institutions For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NASB • flawed application of biblical texts Ephesians 6:12 isn’t about human institutions • biblical texts don’t see global trade as wrong • • Solomon • Tyre • nard • purple cloth • grain trade in luxuries trade in staples Encountering Trade “Global” trade in luxury goods A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Acts 16:14-15 NASB “Global” trade in food [A]t Myra in Lycia….the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it…. Acts 27 NASB Why do I disagree? • flawed application of biblical texts • “false consciousness” is a flawed idea ~5,000 BCE Vesna Dimitrijevic and Boban Tripkovic “Spondylus and Glycymeris bracelets: trade reflections at Neolithic Vinca-Belo Brdo” 2006 ~2,500 BCE University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Iraq´s Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur´s Royal Cemetery now 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 luxury trade local exchange capitalism globalization The Pew Global Attitudes Project Q.18a Please tell me whether you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree or completely disagree with the following statements: a. Most people are better off in a free market economy, even though some people are rich and some are poor. Canada completely agree mostly agree agree mostly disagree completely disagree disagree Japan India China Nigeria Pew Research Center 2007 World Publics Welcome Global Trade - But Not Immigration http://www.pewglobal.org/files/pdf/258.pdf / inflation-adjusted per capita GDP world $25,000 Canada $20,000 Japan $15,000 China $10,000 India $5,000 Angus Madison, Historical Statistics of the World Economy: 1-2008 AD 2000 1800 1500 1000 500 Nigeria 0 $0 http://www.ggdc.net/maddison/Historical_Statistics/horizontal-file_02-2010.xls inflation-adjusted per capita GDP world $30,000 Canada $20,000 Japan China $10,000 India Nigeria Angus Madison, Historical Statistics of the World Economy: 1-2008 AD 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880 1860 1840 1820 $0 http://www.ggdc.net/maddison/Historical_Statistics/horizontal-file_02-2010.xls world $8,000 Canada $6,000 Japan $4,000 China $2,000 India Nigeria 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880 1860 1840 1820 $0 world trade in goods world per capita GDP $15 trillion $8,000 $6,000 $10 trillion $4,000 $5 trillion $2,000 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880 1860 1840 1820 $0 World Trade Organization International trade and tariff data http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/statis_e.htm % of GDP derived from trade world trade in goods world per capita GDP 60% $8,000 $6,000 40% $4,000 20% $2,000 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880 1860 1840 1820 $0 The World Bank World Development Indicators & Global Development Finance http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 world $4,000 Hungary $2,000 Portugal 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 $20,000 $18,000 $16,000 $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 South Korea $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 1950 North Korea 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Objections 1. Globalization harms the poor migrant labour & sweatshops child labour the poor get poorer Globalization exacerbates inequality. 2. Limitless growth is impossible We’re going to hit a wall Globalization destroys the environment % living on less than $2/day 100% Nigeria India 75% 50% China 25% Brazil Mexico 0% 1980 1990 2000 World Bank World Development Indicators http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators Migrant Labour & Sweatshops The Economist Jul 29, 2010 “The Next China” Child labour International Labor Organization International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour • 2010 report: “Accelerating action against Child Labour” http://www.ilo.org/ipec/lang--en/index.htm Child labour 250m 200m 150m 100m under 15 50m 0 2000 2004 53m under 15 215m child labourers 1.6b children http://www.ilo.org/ipec/lang--en/index.htm 2008 Child labour industry 15m services 55m agriculture 129m http://www.ilo.org/ipec/lang--en/index.htm not defined 16m US income in constant $ $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $9,132 $0 1967 $11,034 1977 1987 http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/inequality/IE-1.pdf 1997 2007 But Won’t We Hit a Wall? Paul & Ann Ehrlich The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death... The Population Bomb, 1968 Most of the people who are going to die in the greatest cataclysm in the history of man have already been born. "Eco-Catastrophe!“, 1969 Due to a combination of ignorance, greed, and callousness, a situation has been created that could lead to a billion or more people starving to death. The End of Affluence, 1974 Paul & Ann Ehrlich, quoted by Ed Regis in “The Doomslayer”, Wired http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffsimon_pr.html / But Won’t We Hit a Wall? Meadows et al. The Limits to Growth • 1972; 2004 http://limitstogrowth.net// Discussion? Inflation 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% -25% -50% 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. John Kenneth Galbraith