One Word Feels

When prompted to respond to “globalization,” we came up with these words:

spread of ideas, epcot center, actualization of global view, internet, hegemony, exploitation, big and small, Antarctica (sea sanctuaries), outsourcing international exploitation of labor, plurality/multiplicity, clothes, mouth vomit, loss of individuality, statistics, exchange and exchange value, homogenization of culture, exploitation, internet, the world is a cybernetic system, Friedman, from world war to world depressions, McDonalds/cooler art, mapping.

As this bricolage cacophony unraveled, we heard a multiplicity of anti-globalisms and complications of both market globalism and justice globalism. Some responses (exploitation, homogenization of culture, outsourcing) reveal a clear opposition to market globalization while others (epcot center, mouth vomit, cooler art) convey particular perks of global thinking. Ben suggested that by highlighting the elements of globalization that we support, we can begin to build counter-globalisms that subvert the hegemonic globalism. It is interesting to note that these counter-globisms, like jihad or justice globalism, remain global in scale.

Antartica

Exploitation of labor

More cool art

More cool art

Justseeds is a global cooperative of artists. They created this portfolio addressing resource extraction and the negative socio-economic and ecological impacts that come along with it. They say, ” While consumers experiment with greener lifestyles, the majority of the globe’s population is left to deal with the ecological fallout of industrial and technological “progress.” These are inequalities that only stand to increase as climate change and the unending capitalist pursuit of natural resources produce even more precarious ecologies.” The emphasis on climate change makes the ecological impact of capitalism explicitly global.

Epcot

This Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow is the ultimate expression of globalization’s utopian future. Walt Disney explains, “Epcot will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry… a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. Epcot will showcase to the world, the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise.” For a full primer on the capitalist utopian future, Disney style, check out this truly awe inspiring vision. The entire clip is great but for full mouth-vomit effect start at 9:30.

Further Epcot explorations here.

Cooler Art

Cooler art: This piece is by Keisuke Narita