CHAPTER 18- GLOBAL ISSUES
18.1- A GLOBAL ECONOMY
The world today is the same size it always has been, but it seems much smaller because many countries are connected through communications, international business, and trade. The United States and its citizens will benefit if a greater number of countries can prosper from trade relationships.
Economic Development:
The world today is economically divided into two parts:
Transnational companies, or multinationals- companies, including many US businesses, that operate in more than one country- set up offices, factories and other production facilities in foreign countries. Transnationals, like all companies, want to make profits, either by reducing their production costs or by finding new customers. They expect a host country to offer them:
Culture Clash:
Trading partners need to communicate so world trade has brought the people of different countries closer together. Unfortunately, industrialism can also created conflict, especially over culture and values.
Western Values and Capitalism/Consumerism:
Industrialization often introduces the people of developing countries to a Western, consumerism culture that values the following:
Japan: A Case Study
Japan has become industrialized like the West, but it has still maintained much of its own traditional culture and values.
Starting in the 1920s, when there was a shortage of skilled workers, large Japanese companies recruited workers for industrial jobs. The companies offered to:
American Citizens and World Trade:
America's economy is tied to almost every other country in the world. Several factors affect our global trade:
Economic Development:
The world today is economically divided into two parts:
- Wealthy, developed, industrialized countries- modernized nations that are supported by a complex economic base that includes the manufacture of many goods and services and that produces enough goods and services to sell to other countries. Only about 24 countries today are considered industrial nations, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, and Sweden.
- Most industrialized countries enjoy the following advantages:
- High GDPs - Gross Domestic Products, the value of all goods and services bought in one year.
- Low birth rates- Families are generally small.
- High literacy rates- the percentage of the population over age 15 that can read and write
- Small percentage of the population working in agriculture- to grow food. A relatively small percentage of people can produce enough food for everyone.
- Long life spans- People live long, safe, healthy lives.
- Low child labor rates- Only a small percentage of children aged 10 to 14 are in the labor force. In industrialized nations very few children must work to support themselves and their families.
- Access to technology Many citizens and workers use computers and the internet.
- Most industrialized countries enjoy the following advantages:
- Poor, developing countries- less wealthy countries that do not have much industry. The other countries of the world, more than 165 nation, are considered developing nations. Many developing nations have:
- Low GDP's
- High Birth Rates
- Low literacy rates
- High proportions of the population working in agriculture
- Short life spans
- High child labor rates
- Little access to technology
Transnational companies, or multinationals- companies, including many US businesses, that operate in more than one country- set up offices, factories and other production facilities in foreign countries. Transnationals, like all companies, want to make profits, either by reducing their production costs or by finding new customers. They expect a host country to offer them:
- Infrastructure- the support framework of a society that allows further development, such as roads, railways, high-speed internet access, running water, electricity, law and order, and stability so businesses can operate efficiently.
- National Resources- minerals, land, sources of water, and so on, so the materials the company needs are easy to buy and use.
- A trained or trainable workforce- people who can work for the company as employees.
Culture Clash:
Trading partners need to communicate so world trade has brought the people of different countries closer together. Unfortunately, industrialism can also created conflict, especially over culture and values.
Western Values and Capitalism/Consumerism:
Industrialization often introduces the people of developing countries to a Western, consumerism culture that values the following:
- Material Wealth- People work hard to earn money to purchase things that help define themselves and improve their lives.
- Modernization- People enjoy the conveniences (and gadgets) that technology has brought. Scientific achievements in medicine, too, add value to life..
- Profit-making- Business owners and investors have a right to benefit from their talented efforts.
- Material goods are not important to who one is. People should be satisfied with what they have, even if they're poor.
- Quality of life depends on your relationships with others, not how easy your life is.
- Industrialization destroys traditional values. Profit-making only benefits the rich.
Japan: A Case Study
Japan has become industrialized like the West, but it has still maintained much of its own traditional culture and values.
Starting in the 1920s, when there was a shortage of skilled workers, large Japanese companies recruited workers for industrial jobs. The companies offered to:
- Train all workers.
- Provide recreational facilities, inexpensive housing, benefits, and bonuses.
- Give the workers jobs for life.
- Work hard
- Accept low pay to start, and then receive higher pay for more responsibility.
- Be loyal to the company.
American Citizens and World Trade:
America's economy is tied to almost every other country in the world. Several factors affect our global trade:
- Tariffs- All countries use tariffs, or taxes charged on imported goods, to protect their own domestic industries and products. When a foreign nation's tariff makes your import products more expensive, you lose customers in that nation and you might yell "Foul!" Tariffs create conflict.
- Open Markets- A country that lets a foreign business sell its products into a country is an open market. the opposite situation is a closed market.
- Example: Japan does not allow US rice producers to sell rice into Japan freely, because doing so would compete with Japanese domestic rice producers. Japan is closed to American-grown rice.
- Example: Japan does not allow US rice producers to sell rice into Japan freely, because doing so would compete with Japanese domestic rice producers. Japan is closed to American-grown rice.
- Jobs and competition: Governments who open their markets to multinational companies create competition for their own domestic businesses. A foreign owned factory in the United States creates new jobs for American citizens.
- Example: An American owned company that sets up a factory in another country moves jobs to that country.
- Cost: Wages and working conditions in many foreign countries are much lower than in the United States. As a result some American made products cost more to make and are more expensive for people to buy than similar foreign products.
- New markets for US produced goods and services
- American jobs
- Prosperity for US citizens (and people of other countries)
18.2- ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Citizens of all nations need a healthy global environment.
Natural Resources:
The earth provides a wealth of natural resources.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are valuable because they can be used for everyone's benefit, then replaced.
Example: In America, wood is used in construction, and in making furniture and paper. In many developing countries, billions of people use wood for heating and cooking. Many developing countries do not have the money and opportunity to replace their wood supplies.
All countries must find ways to replace the renewable resources they are using.
Nonrenewable Resources
Fossil Fuels- fuels formed by decaying organic matter- are among the most important nonrenewable resources. They cannot be replaced when they are used up. Not all countries have supplies of fossil fuels, nor do they use fuels equally.
Example: the industrialized countries have only 25 percent of the world's population, but they use 70 percent of the fossil fuels produced.
All countries, including ours, need to find ways to recycle and conserve fuels many conservationist want to find alternate low-cost fuel sources, such as wind, solar, and nuclear fission and fusion energy.
Natural Resources:
The earth provides a wealth of natural resources.
- Resources, such as oil and minerals, that cannot be recreated, are called nonrenewable resources.
- Resources that can be replaced or regrown, such as trees or fresh water are called renewable resources.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are valuable because they can be used for everyone's benefit, then replaced.
Example: In America, wood is used in construction, and in making furniture and paper. In many developing countries, billions of people use wood for heating and cooking. Many developing countries do not have the money and opportunity to replace their wood supplies.
All countries must find ways to replace the renewable resources they are using.
Nonrenewable Resources
Fossil Fuels- fuels formed by decaying organic matter- are among the most important nonrenewable resources. They cannot be replaced when they are used up. Not all countries have supplies of fossil fuels, nor do they use fuels equally.
Example: the industrialized countries have only 25 percent of the world's population, but they use 70 percent of the fossil fuels produced.
All countries, including ours, need to find ways to recycle and conserve fuels many conservationist want to find alternate low-cost fuel sources, such as wind, solar, and nuclear fission and fusion energy.
Pollution:
Pollution of the earth's air, land, and water is largely caused by:
Example: Some gasses are natural, meaning they normally exist in nature, but in the 1900s carbon dioxide, are building up in the earth's atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels.
Pollution of the earth's air, land, and water is largely caused by:
- The effects of burning fossil fuels to power industry, propel vehicles, heat homes, and so on.
- Industrial pollutants, the leftover wastes of industrial production.
- Example: Mexico City issued pollution alerts on 354 out of 365 days in 1991. Just breathing the air there is
Example: Some gasses are natural, meaning they normally exist in nature, but in the 1900s carbon dioxide, are building up in the earth's atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels.
American Citizens and the Global Environment:
America needs and uses more energy than any other country, about one-quarter of the world's commercial energy.
Example: The average person in Bangladesh uses energy equal to about 3 barrels of oil per year. The average American uses energy equal to about 55 barrels of oil per year.
Conserving energy resources will save money and the environment. You can help through:
America needs and uses more energy than any other country, about one-quarter of the world's commercial energy.
Example: The average person in Bangladesh uses energy equal to about 3 barrels of oil per year. The average American uses energy equal to about 55 barrels of oil per year.
Conserving energy resources will save money and the environment. You can help through:
- Recycling
- Using Energy Efficiently
- Reducing Pollution
- Supporting alternative energy sources.
18.3- TERRORISM
Terrorists create fear and terror among citizens and their leaders. They try to scare the governments they oppose into supporting terrorist goals. The September 11 terrorist attacks created the opposite effect. Instead of fear, the actions stirred outrage, patriotism, and determination in many Americans, and in our many good friends around the globe.
Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence or the threat of violence to create fear among civilians. It is a weapon that groups and individuals use to achieve their goal. It also has a 100% failure rate at achieving those goals. In every historical instance, it has caused the opposite effect.
Terrorism is Not New:
Terrorism is an old way of attacking people and governments.
Terrorism and the United States:
Americans have been the victims of terrorism for many years.
Terrorism is a Global Threat:
Terrorism is not just an American Problem.
Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence or the threat of violence to create fear among civilians. It is a weapon that groups and individuals use to achieve their goal. It also has a 100% failure rate at achieving those goals. In every historical instance, it has caused the opposite effect.
Terrorism is Not New:
Terrorism is an old way of attacking people and governments.
- A thousand years ago, a secret group in Syria and Persia called the Assassins (Name of the Secret organization) murdered political and religious enemies.
- World War 1 broke out after a Serbian terrorist group assassinated an Austrian noble.
Terrorism and the United States:
Americans have been the victims of terrorism for many years.
- November 1979- Our American Embassy in Iran was attacked, and 53 Americans were held hostage for more than a year.
- April 1983- A US Military barracks in Beirut was attacked by a truck bomber killing 63 people.
- February 1993- The World Trade Center was damaged and six people were killed by a car bomb planted by foreign terrorists.
- August 1998- A bomb exploded at the US Embassy in Kenya, killing 291 people, including 12 Americans.
- September 2001- Terrorists used hijacked airliners to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
Terrorism is a Global Threat:
Terrorism is not just an American Problem.
- July 1972- An Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb killed 11 and injured 130 people in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- September 1972- At the Munich Olympics, 11 Israeli athletes were held hostage by terrorists. In a later rescue attempt, 9 hostages and 5 terrorists were killed.
- November 1979- Terrorists took over the Islamic Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. In a battle to retake the complex, 250 people were killed.
- June 1985- An Air India plane was destroyed by a bomb, and 329 people were killed
- March 1995- A terrorist nerve gas attack killed 12 and injured 5,700 people in Tokyo, Japan's subway system.
- 2001-2002- Palestinian suicide bombers killed hundreds of Israelis. In retaliation, Israeli raids into Palestinian territory killed an even larger number of Palestinians. Each side accused the other of terrorism.
Keeping World Peace:
World trouble spots such as the Middle East threaten world peace. These disputes:
- Create misery for the people directly involved.
- Threaten to get worse and to involve other nations in a larger war.
- Provide hiding places for terrorists.
- Security of individual nations and their citizens.
- Ways of Life of all civilized nations and societies. terrorists try to change values and institutions illegally, rather than through political and democratic ways.
- Life on Earth Terrorists may have access to weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons, "dirty" bombs, and biochemical weapons.
18.4- WORLD HEALTH
The United Nations and individual countries have focused on world health issues in three areas in particular:
Hunger and Nutrition:
The United Nations reports that, between 1997 and 1999, 815 million people in the world were undernourished. In 2020 the prevalence of undernourishment climbed around 9.9 percent in 2020. It is estimated that between 828 million people were undernourished in 2021.
Three separate problems exist:
- Hunger and Nutrition
- Infectious Diseases
- Drug use and Abuse
Hunger and Nutrition:
The United Nations reports that, between 1997 and 1999, 815 million people in the world were undernourished. In 2020 the prevalence of undernourishment climbed around 9.9 percent in 2020. It is estimated that between 828 million people were undernourished in 2021.
Three separate problems exist:
- Population Growth vs Food Production: If populations, especially in developing countries, continue to grow rapidly, and if more people continue to live longer, the world may need more food than it can produce.
- Food Distribution: Together, the countries of the world could grow enough food to feed everyone, but some regions of the world cannot grow or afford to buy what they need. In some developing countries, the systems or infrastructures needed to distribute food to people do not exist.
- Land Use: many farmers have chosen to use their land to grow profitable cash crops such as tobacco or coca, instead of food. countries have also used farmland to build factories.
- Lower population growth
- Increased food production
- Better food distribution
Disease:
The UN World Heath Organization (WHO) tracks the spread of many diseases. Covid-19 brought about concerns about the spread of pandemic diseases. The events of 2019 and 2020 have revealed issues with our global structure and how we handle disease. Three chronic diseases are still concerning on a non-pandemic level:
Drug Abuse:
Drug abuse is a global issue that:
People all around the world are hurt by illegal drugs. Many drugs are manufactured from products often grown as cash crops by farmers in poorer developing countries. The governments of some countries as Columbia have worked with US officials to fight the illegal drug production and trafficking. Despite some successes drug abuse and drug related crime are problems for all nations inside and beyond their own borders and can only be solved by a partnership of nations.
The UN World Heath Organization (WHO) tracks the spread of many diseases. Covid-19 brought about concerns about the spread of pandemic diseases. The events of 2019 and 2020 have revealed issues with our global structure and how we handle disease. Three chronic diseases are still concerning on a non-pandemic level:
- HIV
- Hepatitis C
- Cholera
Drug Abuse:
Drug abuse is a global issue that:
- Ruins human lives and health especially among poorer people.
- Causes crime and conflict especially in poorer areas
- Supports terrorists and criminal organizations
- Costs every citizen money by using up government tax resources in treatment and prevention.
People all around the world are hurt by illegal drugs. Many drugs are manufactured from products often grown as cash crops by farmers in poorer developing countries. The governments of some countries as Columbia have worked with US officials to fight the illegal drug production and trafficking. Despite some successes drug abuse and drug related crime are problems for all nations inside and beyond their own borders and can only be solved by a partnership of nations.
18.5- HUMAN RIGHTS
The US Constitution guarantees to you rights and freedoms that are unknown to people in many other countries.
Prejudice and Equality:
Many nations are not democratic or do not treat all citizens fairly or equally.
America and other democratic nations work to encourage all nations to end prejudice and inequality in order to:
Refugees:
Refugees are people who flee military conflict and oppression in their own country and seek safety in another country. Refugees are an issue in many nations:
Example: At the end of 2000, Iran hosted nearly 1.9 million refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Turkey, Somalia, and Sudan. Most of the 6 million refugees in the Middle Eastern countries are Palestinian people. Israel also hosts millions of refugees.
Refugee issues are a global problem but they can:
Individual Rights:
As an American you probably believe that government policies should reflect certain basic rights, but not all governments agree. Nations such as the United States encourage less democratic nations to extend human rights. Promoting human rights raises human dignity and helps promote peace and democratic values.
Tiananmen Square
In May 1989, Chinese students gathered in Tiananmen square in Beijing, China. They came to mourn the death of a former Chinese leader who had supported student rights in that Communist nation. The gathering turned into a rally for democratic reforms that lasted for weeks. The students even built a replica of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of American Democracy.
The Chinese government eventually lost patience with the courageous students and ordered the army to use force to clear Tiananmen Square. In a brutal confrontation, the army obeyed its orders. As many as 2,000 or more unarmed students were killed. The Tiananmen Square Massacre is now a symbol of the struggle for human rights in China and around the world.
Prejudice and Equality:
Many nations are not democratic or do not treat all citizens fairly or equally.
- Governments seize and maintain power without election by voters.
- Many minority, racial or ethnic groups suffer discrimination
- Women are not full citizens
- Example: In many countries, women have fewer rights, are less educated, earn lower wages than men for the same jobs, and are more likely to live in poverty than men. According to the UN, of more than one billion people, worldwide who live in poverty, the great majority are women
- Children are not protected.
America and other democratic nations work to encourage all nations to end prejudice and inequality in order to:
- Protect human dignity and human rights.
- Prevent conflict that could threaten world peace
- Extend democratic values
Refugees:
Refugees are people who flee military conflict and oppression in their own country and seek safety in another country. Refugees are an issue in many nations:
- Large group of refugees usually enter a neighboring country.
- Individual refugees or families sometimes seek refuge in countries far away, possibly with relatives.
Example: At the end of 2000, Iran hosted nearly 1.9 million refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Turkey, Somalia, and Sudan. Most of the 6 million refugees in the Middle Eastern countries are Palestinian people. Israel also hosts millions of refugees.
Refugee issues are a global problem but they can:
- Create ethic and political tensions
- Cause resource shortages in the host country.
- Grow into larger, international crises.
Individual Rights:
As an American you probably believe that government policies should reflect certain basic rights, but not all governments agree. Nations such as the United States encourage less democratic nations to extend human rights. Promoting human rights raises human dignity and helps promote peace and democratic values.
Tiananmen Square
In May 1989, Chinese students gathered in Tiananmen square in Beijing, China. They came to mourn the death of a former Chinese leader who had supported student rights in that Communist nation. The gathering turned into a rally for democratic reforms that lasted for weeks. The students even built a replica of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of American Democracy.
The Chinese government eventually lost patience with the courageous students and ordered the army to use force to clear Tiananmen Square. In a brutal confrontation, the army obeyed its orders. As many as 2,000 or more unarmed students were killed. The Tiananmen Square Massacre is now a symbol of the struggle for human rights in China and around the world.
18.6- MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The many global issues in the world today are complicated, to say the least. As a result, you may think that an individual cannot do much to help. But anything is possible for those who try.
Power of Individuals:
Many people change the world, or at least their corner of it, in significant and visible ways. Leaders of government, businesses, and other organizations in many nations do exceptional things that change the world for better or for worse.
Every day the world benefits from "average" citizens who volunteer their time, money, teaching, and talents. Organizations like the International Red Cross supported by citizens make the world a better place.
Staying Informed and Involved:
All citizens, including you, should stay informed by following the news. The informed students of today might be the leaders and heroes of tomorrow.
You can also take a more active role in global and local issues.
Power of Individuals:
Many people change the world, or at least their corner of it, in significant and visible ways. Leaders of government, businesses, and other organizations in many nations do exceptional things that change the world for better or for worse.
Every day the world benefits from "average" citizens who volunteer their time, money, teaching, and talents. Organizations like the International Red Cross supported by citizens make the world a better place.
Staying Informed and Involved:
All citizens, including you, should stay informed by following the news. The informed students of today might be the leaders and heroes of tomorrow.
You can also take a more active role in global and local issues.
- Raise and discuss global issues through civil discourse.
- Exchange letters and emails with English-Speaking students in other countries
- Volunteer to help in your local community in places such as food banks or senior centers.