Life and Debt Response
Life and Debt Response Paper
Taylor Sun
9/29/2011
St. John's University
Globalization has been a controversial topic for decades followed by the industrialization. The debate of whether it is positive or negative for the human race has caused much divergence, consequently leading to vast conflicts between different cultures, nations, and peoples. Although globalization brought convenience to the lives of a few on a daily basis in the industrialized countries, it also brought about world power monopolies controlling the trade system, exploitation of workers in developing countries, and victimizing the societies that are unable to self sustain.
In the 21st century, signs of globalization are everywhere, in both industrialized and developing countries. When you take a sip into that freshly picked coconut brought home from a local supermarket, do you think of the farmers in Malaysia that had grown the tree, the Japanese operated shipping company that had flown the cargo to the United States, or the American manufacture company that had packaged the delicious fruit, and had delivered it to the supermarket near you for your convenience? Or, every time you get ready and put on your brand new sneakers that you had just purchased from a department store; do you think of the shoelaces made in Mexico, sowed together in the sweatshops in China, and the British founded brand that designed your sneakers? My guess is no. We as the privileged ones do not recognize these traces of globalization anymore in our everyday lives, because we are so accustomed to the way of life made possible by globalization. However, the less fortunate ones in the other parts of the world struggle everyday to make ends meet without enjoying the benefits of globalization, but rather they are the majority that are sacrificed in the process of making the lives of a few effortless and comfortable. Before viewing the film “Life and Debt,” like most people, I had never
Taylor Sun
9/29/2011
St. John's University
Globalization has been a controversial topic for decades followed by the industrialization. The debate of whether it is positive or negative for the human race has caused much divergence, consequently leading to vast conflicts between different cultures, nations, and peoples. Although globalization brought convenience to the lives of a few on a daily basis in the industrialized countries, it also brought about world power monopolies controlling the trade system, exploitation of workers in developing countries, and victimizing the societies that are unable to self sustain.
In the 21st century, signs of globalization are everywhere, in both industrialized and developing countries. When you take a sip into that freshly picked coconut brought home from a local supermarket, do you think of the farmers in Malaysia that had grown the tree, the Japanese operated shipping company that had flown the cargo to the United States, or the American manufacture company that had packaged the delicious fruit, and had delivered it to the supermarket near you for your convenience? Or, every time you get ready and put on your brand new sneakers that you had just purchased from a department store; do you think of the shoelaces made in Mexico, sowed together in the sweatshops in China, and the British founded brand that designed your sneakers? My guess is no. We as the privileged ones do not recognize these traces of globalization anymore in our everyday lives, because we are so accustomed to the way of life made possible by globalization. However, the less fortunate ones in the other parts of the world struggle everyday to make ends meet without enjoying the benefits of globalization, but rather they are the majority that are sacrificed in the process of making the lives of a few effortless and comfortable. Before viewing the film “Life and Debt,” like most people, I had never