The Advantages and Disadvantages of The Globalization Process Based on Real-life Examples

Globalization is more present today than ever before. Every country is connected to another in some way, whether it is through economy, politics, business and trade, population, technology, and culture. We rely on each other for goods, clothing, and many other aspects of our daily lives, and we don’t even think about it. Our world is more connected and dependent than it has ever been in the past, and there are many positive and negative aspects of the interaction between countries. The U.S. Corn Belt/Wheat Belt, oil in the Persian Gulf, Turkey’s prime location between Europe and the Middle East, sweatshops in Bangladesh, and Myanmar’s revolution towards change are all examples of Globalization, that show just how connected we actually are.

First, the U.S. corn and wheat belt, located in the Midwest United States is interconnected with not only other states in the U.S., but also places around the world through the economy and business and trade. The U.S. Corn Belt is connected with other states and countries because that area provides a food source to millions of people. Wheat and corn are very important goods in our society for people and animals. Many people rely on the U.S. Corn Belt in order to receive the grains they need in order to have a healthy diet. Farmers from around the country and around the world also rely on the Corn Belt to feed their animals the necessary grains to make them healthy and strong. Many jobs have been created because of the Corn Belt, which has helped the economy. Also, when the Corn Belt does business with other states and countries, they are also boosting the economy.

There are positive and negative aspects of many other places relying heavily on the Corn Belt for food. A positive aspect is we make a lot of income that help boost are economy immensely. The U.S. is affected in such a positive way because the Corn Belt is a great source of business. Also, since the Corn Belt is a very important staple in the U.S., it provides many people jobs, whether it is in farming, or in dealing with the business and trade. A negative aspect of other people relying on the Corn Belt is if there are any droughts, or years where the climate may not be suitable to sustain a bountiful farm/crops, the people won’t be able to get the corn and wheat they need. If people rely too much on one source for goods, and they don’t have any back up alternatives, then they will be in a bad spot if the production of the goods is put on hold.

The Persian Gulf is very interconnected to he United States and other countries around the world, due to their one important asset, oil. The Persian Gulf contains more oil than most places in the entire planet, and countries depend on this location very heavily. The Persian Gulf is connected to other countries politically, economically, as well as through business. The Persian Gulf is a big contributor to what political decisions are made based on other countries receiving the oil. The Persian Gulf is so important that the United States military has a strong presence there, so they can protect it. The U.S., as well as other countries around the world, are interdependent on the Persian Gulf to provide us with oil.

There are various positive aspects of countries relying on the Persian Gulf for oil. First, it is a great and reliable source to provide us with what we need. Also, there is enough oil for everyone to use, and it is plentiful. A negative aspect of the countries relying on the Persian Gulf is if anything happens to it, we will have an oil deficit. We rely so much, that if we couldn’t receive the oil, we would be at a complete loss because the Persian Gulf provides so much of our oil, and there is nowhere else in the world quite like it. Additionally, a negative aspect of the U.S. being so interconnected with the Persian Gulf is if we get in any big disagreements with any of the surrounding countries, they may completely turn our backs on us. This could happen with any country, but especially in the U.S. because the surrounding countries near the Persian Gulf are already unhappy that we have our military there controlling it.

Additionally, Turkey is very interconnected with the U.S. because of its geographic location. Turkey has a prime location because it is situated between Europe and the Middle East. There are various “hotspots” in the Middle East and Asia that the U.S. has military access to because of where Turkey is located. Turkey helps us by acting as a middle ground for us, but we also greatly assist Turkey financially. We are two countries that rely on each other immensely politically and economically. We have the opportunity to make political decisions based on the countries we have access to. The Turkish government relies on us for our financial assistance to their country, and we rely on them so we have access for our military to other countries.

There are many positive aspects of our interdependence and relationship with Turkey. We are both helping each other out, so we are both benefitting. Our military has a broader range of other countries from Turkey, and they are receiving money from us to help build up their economy. A negative aspect on relying on each other is if we ever get in a huge disagreement, Turkey may stop allowing us to use their country so much, and we will not be giving them financial assistance, which will hurt us both in the long run. It is a good thing to have a strong relationship with many countries, and not depending on each other too much, because if a relationship fails between two or more countries, than we many not be able to access the benefits which we once had.

Another example of globalization is our interdependence with Bangladesh regarding our clothing in the United States. The United States depends on purchasing clothes from Bangladesh for cheap prices. In Bangladesh there are sweatshops, where mostly women work long, grueling hours making clothes for the U.S., for a starvation wage. Even though the U.S. is aware of the terrible conditions over there, we still continue to buy clothing made from those places. It is good for our economy to have a relationship with Bangladesh to make our clothing, because we aren’t paying much for it. The people who work in these sweatshops are making only a few cents an hour, and less than five dollars a week, so they aren’t reaping any benefits from the deals with clothes companies in the U.S.

One positive benefit for the United States of being interconnected with Bangladesh for clothing is the companies don’t have to pay large sums of money to buy the clothing in bulk. It is very cheap. This helps our economy because the clothes aren’t sold for as expensive as they would be if they were made here. The people in Bangladesh are willing to work for little to no money, so they can at least have a job, and contribute to their families as much as they can. There are many negative aspects of our interdependence on Bangladesh for clothes. The workers of Bangladesh get the negative end of the stick. They don’t see any good things from making our clothes. They work in horrible conditions, where there are little breaks, sickness, and abuse. The only people who may see some profit in Bangladesh are the people in charge of these sweatshops. A negative aspect of this relationship for the United States is we are lessening the job market for manufacturing clothing. We should be making the clothes we wear here where we live, so we can open up more jobs for our people. We should also refuse to get clothes from a place that abuses their people because it is morally wrong.

Lastly, there is a great interconnectedness between Myanmar and other countries around the world, like the United States, in terms of culture, technology, politics, population, and economy. Myanmar is a country that is in the process of modernizing itself, which it has taken a great leap from how it previously was in the past. Other Asian companies close to Myanmar are investing there, which is making their economy better, and is opening more jobs for the people there. Myanmar wants to change politically and become a more democratic society, like the United States. The U.S. has been collaborating more with Myanmar. For instance, President Obama even visited Myanmar three times so he could bring our countries together and appreciate their willingness to change culturally and politically. A U.S. Ambassador also visited Myanmar. Myanmar is becoming a little more “Americanized” you can say, because they want to be democratic, and they also jumped on board with various types of technology, like smart phones. Now that they are more modernized and have more technology, a population of students who were born in Myanmar who moved to the United States for more opportunities when they were little, are actually moving back to their home country, because now they see a lot of opportunity there. More people are moving from the United States to Myanmar because things are changing for the better. Myanmar is striving to one day be free, just like the United States.

There are many positive aspects of other countries being interconnected with Myanmar. Since other Asian countries are investing in Myanmar and opening up big businesses, the economy is strengthening. Also, Myanmar’s population is expanding because people who once moved away from there, are moving back home because they are able to see the revolution going on, especially through social media, since Myanmar is also changing that way too. Myanmar also has the United States to look up to, so they can see how we do things in our democratic country, and how to become more liberal, especially regarding censorship. Myanmar has other countries, and their people excited about this change. There are a couple negative aspects of countries becoming interconnected with Myanmar. Myanmar hasn’t fully changed yet, and companies are moving there permanently, when Myanmar hasn’t fully shown and gained the trust of the people that this big change their making is permanent. If Myanmar decides to resort back to their old ways of life, then companies and the people would be losing out. The people who moved from the U.S. to Myanmar hoping for change and opportunity, would be back at square one, with little opportunity to grow and expand. Also, some of the college students who moved there from the U.S. may have too liberal views and get in trouble when they come to Myanmar and voice their opinions.

Globalization is a huge aspect that is growing and expanding in our world every day. Each year, countries are building relationships and becoming more interconnected than we ever have been in the past. Negative and positive things come from becoming interdependent on each other, and we must work to help make allies with may different countries so we can all unite and benefit from each other. The United State’s relationship with Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Turkey are all examples of how we are becoming increasingly connected, no matter what part of the world you live in.