: The two articles “Two Years, Later, A Thousand Years Ago” and “Globalization Goes To War” in my opinion expresses the same concern about the cultural and political influences of the global community which threaten the previously believed irrepressible economic and commercial forces of globalization. Both authors acknowledge that prior to the September 11, attacks no one thought that there were any forces cultural, political or economic which could hinder the manifest destiny of globalization, especially that of the United States of America.
:The hallmarks of globalization which were birthed during the industrial and post-industrial periods such as technological advances in communication and transportation and the transformation of global commercial practices; have been identified as the same mediums through which terrorists and anti-globalization groups have been using to destroy and antagonize advocates of globalization. In both articles, the authors make reference to the negative usages of the globalization tools and to the fact that there needs to be greater surveillance of these resources. Cheaper communication and access to information were highlighted in both articles as problematic for the continued growth of globalization. Technological advances in communication have been advantageous for the growth of global commerce, but the positive characteristics of this improved, cheap and efficient tool have also been beneficial to terrorist and insurgent groups who disagree with globalization due to differing cultural and political beliefs. The September 11 attacks in the United States of America by Afghan terrorist groups who were against the cultural and political influence of America clearly demonstrated the strength of these differing cultural and political beliefs.
:In “Two Years, Later, A Thousand Years Ago” the author makes reference to the need for global governance and a growth in morality to keep the currents of globalization flowing. The author of “Globalization Goes To War” does not directly offer a plausible solution to the negative forces affecting globalization, but I infer that similarly to the author of the first article, that he thinks that attention should be given to the non-economic factors and especially to how products of globalization are being used against it.
: The author of “Globalization Goes To War” tries to predict what will be the results of the war in Iraq, which he states in his opening sentence, “What may ultimately be said of a war with Iraq, assuming it occurs, is that it made the world safe for globalization--or that it proved the world unfit for globalization”. Even after having the benefit reading this article after the war in Iraq has occurred, it is still hard to answer the author’s question. Currently Americans along with Iraqi officials are in a process of rebuilding the nation-state of Iraq. Yesterday Sunday, January 30th 2005, Iraq had its first free elections despite attacks from insurgents, which resulted in forty-four deaths including nine suicide bombings. Responses to the author’s question will differ depending still on the cultural and political background of the individual faced with the question. People in the western hemisphere belief this is a successful feat of globalization, while officials in the neighboring countries of Iraq in the Middle East view this successful democratic election as a threat to their power and governance. I agree with the first author, if globalization is to continue their needs to the development of greater global governance and morality.