The United Nations World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization reported in 2004 that "there is a missing link in today's globalization between opportunities and access to opportunities." For this reason globalization remains controversial, and in some cases strongly contested.

This page presents a variety of editorial and journalistic perspectives on important issues in globalization. Compiled from September 2003 through March 2004, this compendium of opinions from news publications around the world strives for representative diversity and accuracy. However, because we are unable to represent everyone's opinions here, we encourage you to search out additional viewpoints on these and other issues. The Media links contained in the website's Useful Links section is a good starting place for further exploration.

"Equal rules for unequal players ensure unequal outcomes," said President Tarja Halonen of Finland, one of leaders of the U.N. commission. The views excerpted below suggest that critics of globalization in developing countries assail wealthy nations for manipulating the rules of the game; at other times, they plead for special allowances based on exceptional need. Some observers admire globalization's promises of emancipation, while others dread its unyielding momentum.

Emerging from the editorial and opinion sections of news sources around the world were four key issues:
(1) agricultural subsidies;
(2) migration;
(3) good governance; and
(4) sovereign debt.

Agricultural subsidies such as government payments to farmers for production and/or export have distorted trade and often made it impossible for countries to compete in third country markets. Migration touches on nearly every aspect of society including labor markets, cultural mores, and national security. Good governance is achieved by practicing transparency and accountability and helps to build strong institutions and to promote economic development. Poor country governments borrow at favorable rates from the World Bank and/or IMF to help finance development. Although sovereign debt can strain national economies, governments that fail to service their debt risk losing international confidence, access to global capital markets and economic cooperation with rich countries.

I. Agricultural Subsidies

• Malaysia, The Star, "Farmers Hit by Unfair Rules" by Martin Khor, February 23, 2004:
  

"The plight of Third World agriculture is linked to a system of unfair global rules that allow rich countries to protect and subsidise their big farms and food companies, at the same time pressurizing developing countries to open their markets to cheap food imports.
That's the bad news. The good news is that many developing countries are fighting back, forming their own coalitions [such as the G20] to press the developed countries to end their subsidies, and to allow the poor countries to defend their own farmers' interests."

• India, The Hindustan Times, "Two Cheers, One Fear After Cancun" by Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, September 20, 1993:

"Nothing, but nothing, distorts world trade more than farm dole.

The EU is easily villain number one. Its subsidy regime is the most damaging to market principles. The U.S., with a more price competitive farming sector, is normally more prepared to prune its handouts.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has tended to see electoral gains in taking the EU path."

• Australia, printed in The Daily Mirror of Sri Lanka, "Free Trade Deals Could Be Costly Blunder for Smaller Nations" by Quintin Fernando, Canberra, Australia, November 06, 2003:

"When it comes to deals of any kind, smaller countries, so much dependent on the rich and powerful Western nations, are even more susceptible to coercion and bullying than a developed country like Australia. If the U.S. could treat its 'best friend' [Australia] with such callousness [the recently concluded U.S.-Australia free trade agreement specifically excludes the sugar sector at U.S. insistence to protect domestic producers], where do smaller nations stand? A fairer global trading system would significantly alleviate the poverty experienced by billions of people globally. The WTO model has brought the sincerity of wealthy nations into question."

• The Philippines, The Manila Times, "No Reason For Joy" by Calixto V. Chikiamco, September 23, 2003:

"Our farmers cannot even be said to be victims of globalization because they haven't been able to participate.

Our agricultural sector suffers, not from the effects of globalization, but from the lack of budgetary support, spending on subsidies for the National Food Authority, lack of research and development, overprotection for the low-value added grains sector, and uncertainty over the property rights environment caused by the agrarian reform law. It would be well for the government to address these problems rather than high-fiving over the collapse of the Cancun talks."

• Canada, The Toronto Star, "Trade Minister Should Aim to Advance Trade Talks" by David Crane, December 17, 2003:

"[Doha] is also the first trade round where the world's poorest countries, many of them from Africa, are threatening to block progress unless their needs-especially in agriculture and labour-intensive products such as footwear and clothing-are met. Their share of world trade is much less than their share of world population, but for reasons of morality (the need to address world poverty) and global stability (poverty is a breeding ground for terrorism, disease, conflict and illegal migration), their needs cannot be ignored."

II. Migration

• England, The Daily Telegraph, "Is France on the Way to Becoming an Islamic State?" by Barbara Amiel, January 26, 2004:
  

"European countries have none of this melting-pot principle. You cannot become German or Italian with the same ease with which you become American. Also, into this very different European environment came a very different sort of immigrant—people who had no interest in assimilation at all.

They came as settlers, wanting to establish their own communities; at best they favoured a merger—at worst, a takeover. Their approach was nurtured by notions of multiculturalism, a creed appealing to intellectuals, administrators and enforcers, but having almost zero appeal to the home population."

• Qatar, Al-Jazeerah, "Recent Laws are Wrong Way to Integrate European Muslims" by Alaa Bayoumi, March 11, 2004:

"Europe's proposed anti-Muslim laws [banning the head scarf worn by Islamic young women in French schools] will create a false solution for serious problems impeding Europe's multiculturalism. This will hinder Muslim integration into European society, as well as damage Europe's image in the Muslim world. Instead, European countries should seek creative approaches to fully engage their Muslim communities in the struggle for economic reform and ideological moderation."

• Mexico, La Jornada, "It's Not an Immigration Pact, But It Can Be Profitable" by Jorge Santibenez Romellon, January 10, 2004 (translated by CSIS staff):
  

"To think that Bush's proposal [to provide legal status to undocumented Mexican migrants in the United States who have or obtain a job] derives from good intentions towards the migrants, from a sense of justice or from pressure exerted by Mexicans, ignores the extreme security spiral into which the executive has flung himself and fails to see the real logic unfolding behind decisions in the United States.

The other component, which explains the timing of Bush's proposal, is the upcoming American presidential election. With his proposal, the American chief seeks to attract voters from the Hispanic community, to strike back, by virtue of bipartisanism, at the Democratic Party."

• England, The Daily Telegraph, "[Home Secretary David] Blunkett has Failed to Wake Up to the Immigration Nightmare" by Andrew Green, February 24, 2004:

"As all the other countries of the European Union, except Ireland, have imposed restrictions on East Europeans, the spotlight has fallen on the regime in Britain. For a start, we have no system of ID cards so that, once in, disappearing is simple. Nor do we have any control over our labour market. Employers can and do employ illegal labour on a large scale and with impunity...The government is left with an attempt to deter those who might be coming mainly to seek benefits. This will be no easy task since, once they have arrived, they can declare themselves destitute and, if they have children, the local authorities are obliged by law to look after them."

• Malaysia, The Star, Letter from Irate Father, Klang, whose daughter's application for a tourist visa to the United States was turned down because she did not "show sufficiently strong family, social or economic ties to her place of residence," February 23, 2004:

"How did he come to this conclusion? She lives with her parents and has more than enough money of her own to finance her trip, proof of which was furnished.
What do we have to show and prove in order to visit the U.S.? Why are innocent, ordinary people treated as if they are would-be criminals, terrorists or illegal migrants?
The U.S. champions the cause of justice and human rights around the globe. Has September 11 made it so blind that it does not see injustice, however small it may be?"

III. Good Governance

Three key aspects of good governance are combating corruption, using public revenues to improve social services, and adhering to the rule of law and respecting human rights. Conversely, poorly governed countries develop at a slower rate and are less likely to receive and capitalize on aid and investment. For more information on governance, see the Development issue brief in Development Section.

• Lebanon, The Daily Star, "Globalization and Political Transparency," by Christian Henderson, February 16, 2004:

"Political freedom and good governance go hand-in-hand with economic vitality. A key to improving governance is harnessing 'inclusiveness' in the political process. Lebanon has an advantage over regional counterparts, enjoying a relative freedom of the press and this must be protected.

If Lebanon is going to stand a chance of overcoming the challenges that economic globalization entails then the country's leaders must bear this in mind."

• Russia, The Moscow Times, "Putin Presiding Over Centralized Feudal State" by Sergei Dorenko, February 25, 2004:

"Russia's ruling elite dismisses all the talk about democracy in Washington and Strasbourg as a Western whim—a peculiar rule of the game that, like the rule against kicking and punching below the belt in boxing, merely reduces the effectiveness of potential cooperation. Moreover, such whims are seen as the manifestation of Western hypocrisy. And while the Russian elite is prepared to adopt Western political correctness as window-dressing, such hypocritical rituals (which, in the elite's view, merely conceal the universal drive for power and wealth) should not be allowed to obscure certain basic facts."

• Nigeria, The Vanguard, "Speaking Out: Let them Come, But..." by Morenike Taire, February 03, 2004:

"So what does the president need a new jet for? He needs it, we are told, because the present one, like every other thing or person he owns, gulps too much money. Well, that's about the president's needs. As for us, we need security, electricity and a government which will not impose illegal taxes. Those are not as expensive as the president's needs, when you consider that they are for more than a hundred million people. The president has asked us to be patient, optimistic and to happily be citizens of the only country where there are blackouts and petrol queues in peace time, so he can be the president of the only country where the number one man gets on commercial flights to go on trips. Making the biggest sacrifice is what being a leader is all about."

• South Korea, JoongAng Daily, "The President's Overhasty Acts" by Kim Won-il, March 15, 2004:

"Even [President Roh Moo-hyun] had committed no crime but "the original sin of getting elected," as he described it, he was chosen to lead the country by the people. Then he, as the winner, should have shown less hostility to the defeated and should have had the magnanimity to embrace them, even though they committed "bigger" violations of election laws, as partners in reforming politics and managing the state. If the president hadn't shown such open disdain for his political opponents, they wouldn't have tried to trip him up at every turn as they did [and impeach him on charges of corruption]...Above all, the politicians should show a sense of responsibility."

• Spain, El Pais, "Of Lies" by Juan Luis Cebrián, March 17, 2004:

"[In the wake of the 3/11 terrorist attacks in Madrid and the government's early indictment of the Basque separatist group ETA despite evidence pointing to Islamic extremists] it has been manipulation and lies, the gross utilization of the argument of the struggle against terrorism as justification for almost any policy, the abusive takeover of the public and private news media, the shameless opportunism and puerile arrogance, that have cost power to those who lost it [Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and the Popular Party]. From now on we shall be seeing the usual incense-bearers pouring flattery on the new legitimately constituted authority. The emerging power will have occasion to note that deception is not a monopoly of politicians. To change the pace of events around us, let us hope the newcomers [Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the Socialist Party] pay more heed to criticism than to adulation."

IV. Debt Payments

• Argentina, Buenos Aires Herald, "Quality Time?," Editorial, March 15, 2004:

"A few months should not be underestimated in terms of continuing the current recovery and perhaps even starting some virtuous circles. Yet a few months of calm [following Argentina's agreement to pay $3.1 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund] until the next debt crisis do not offer the certainty necessary to bring in serious investment. Tuesday's return to sanity would have been even better for credibility without the previous histrionics while the time and political comfort now gained should be used for some confidence shock with the idea of attracting investors, not keeping creditors at bay."

• Brazil, Brazil, "Brazil: Why Hunger is Absurd Here" by Carlos Chagas, February 2004:

"The devil, it's worth repeating, is in our economic model, which not only favors speculative activities in detriment of production, but last year remunerated our public debt, worth almost R$1 trillion, with R$147 billion in interest. And our R$750 foreign debt with R$75 billion in interest.

We never missed a single deadline or haggled over a single cent of this interest in the past nine years, under the allegation that the government must honor its commitments. Well, is there a more important commitment for a country than to placate the hunger of its people?"

• France, Le Monde Diplomatique, "The Other Axis of Evil" by Ignacio Ramonet, March:

"It is scandalous that our leaders, particularly those from the European Union, refuse to take action that might provide for development and liberate two-thirds of humanity mired in poverty.
What is needed is to write off poor countries' debts completely; to create a fair and broad-based system governing debt repayment for nations of the South; to obtain guarantees to ensure that conditions for financing are appropriate and that financing will be used for sustainable development..."