SZABIST

GLOBALIZATION

Lecture 10

TOPIC

Globalization:
Militarism,
Extremism and
Terrorism

GLOBALIZATION AND MILITARISM

The world may not have yet turned in a single world society but
every aspect of social reality is simultaneously undergoing
globalization, witness the emergence of a world economy, a
cosmopolitan culture, and the rise of international social
movements. And this global interconnectedness runs much deeper
than the interdependence of states.

Globalization, to many, has now evolved not as phenomenon but

as an international system and force. It took over the place
vacated by the cold war.
Since there is no single agreed definition of globalization, the
concept of world shrinking and coming closer through economic,
social and technological entities of this new age sets the order for
several other processes gain influence and prominence in world
politics, including militarism.

CONTINUED

For a long time, globalization was not discussed

much by the security community. Strategic concerns
seemed remote from a world which had been
conditioned to believe that the market was the
source of contemporary history.

Now, Globalization and the transnationalization of

defense / military corporations have replaced the
military-industrial complex of the Cold War economy
with a military-corporate complex of the new global
economy.

CONTINUED

Steven
Staples,
the
Chairman
of
the
International Network on Disarmament and
Globalization, states that
Globalization and militarism should be seen as
two sides of the same coin. On one side,
globalization promotes the conditions that lead
to unrest, inequality, conflict, and, ultimately,
war. On the other side, globalization fuels the
means to wage war by protecting and promoting
the military industries needed to produce
sophisticated weaponry.

THE CORPORATE WORLD PAVING THE WAY FOR

MILITARISM

The critics of globalization believe that globalization and

militarism are inextricably linked together.
Globalization promotes economic gaps that lie at the core of
conflicts and wars the world is faced with today.
Financial instability, economic inequality, competition for
resources, and environmental degradation-all root causes of warare exacerbated by globalization.
The world economic system promotes military economies over
civilian economies, pushing national economic policies toward
military spending. The World Trade Organization (WTO), one of
the main instruments of globalization, is largely based on the
premise that the only legitimate role for a government is to
provide for a military to protect the interests of the country and a
police force to ensure order within.

CONTINUED

Moreover, the WTO gives exemplary protection to

government actions that develop, arm, and deploy
armed forces and supply a military establishment.
Article X of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT) allows governments free reign for
actions taken in the interest of national security.
It is also argued that as globalization extends the
reach of corporate interests around the world, a
matching military capacity must be deployed to
protect those interests. For instance, McDonald's
cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the
builder of the F-15.

CONTINUED

"Globalization denies food to the hungry -- and hands

them guns instead."
Globalization promotes military spending over social
spending. Security exceptions in free trade agreements
grant governments a free hand in military spending, but
place limits on social spending. Thus, governments use
military spending to achieve non-defence goals such as
job creation, regional development, and subsidization of
local corporations through defence contracts.
Since the late 1990s, world military spending has been on
the rise and is now over one trillion dollars a year and
almost half of this amount is being spent by the United
States alone.

GLOBALIZATION AND TERRORISM

Terrorism is an extremely difficult concept to define. Terrorism is an

ethereal philosophy, and terrorist actors engage in terrorism for a
variety of purposes, motivations, and ideologies.

Like militarism, terrorism is also believed to have been exacerbated

by globalization.

Globalization creates a breeding ground for terrorism. Globalization

feeds resentment in poor countries as poverty increases, foreign
products flood local markets displacing local producers, and human
rights are abused by northern corporations exploiting low-paid labour.
The result is an audience of desperate people ready to listen to
religious extremists' exhortations to take up arms or undertake acts of
terrorism.

CONTINUED

Apparently, terrorists have been greatly benefited by the tools

of globalization, for instance, technological advancements,
variety of communications networks, corporate influences,
proliferation of weapons and increasing accessibility to
networks to carry out their tasks .
Theoretically, it may bring into discussion the Samuel P.
Hungtingtons thesis. Huntingdon claims that with the end of
the Cold war and the expansion of globalization, international
politics has moved out of its Western phase, and its
centerpiece becomes the interaction between the west and
non-western civilizations; which he argues could potentially
led to cultural and ideological difference between individuals
and states resulting in disagreement, intolerance and finally a
clash of civilizations.

CONTINUED

Many scholars and academicians now accept the

notion that global terrorism is the dark-side of the
globalization. Others contest the idea calling it
utterly unhelpful as it then prevents in finding
solutions and answers to the issue of global
terrorism.

To the critics of globalization, it appears that

militarism and terrorism both have developed a
symbiotic relationship with globalization which is
not only destructive for the future of this world but
will be difficult to be dealt with.

SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT

Both increasing militarism and terrorism in the age of

globalization have inflicted societies, particularly in
the developing part of the world, with a lot of ills:
Fear
Psychological warfare
Irradiation of civil liberties
Gradual disappearance of democratic politics
Uncertainty
Risks
Financial challenges
Cultural subjugation

REFERENCES

Steven Staples, The Relationship between Globalization and

Militarism, http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/29768030?
uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101790270783

Steven Staples, Globalization and Militarism: The Need for a

Human Security Trade Agenda,
http://www.peace.ca/globalizationandmilitarism.htm

Florin Stibli, Terrorism in the Context of Globalization,

http://www.zmne.hu/aarms/docs/Volume9/Issue1/pdf/01.pdf

Audrey Kurth Cronin, Behind the Curve: Globalization and

International Terrorism,
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/files/88504_cronin.pdf