{"id":126,"date":"2021-08-21T15:58:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-21T19:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/?page_id=126"},"modified":"2023-04-29T22:20:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T02:20:32","slug":"global-instability","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/global-instability\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART V<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Covid-19: As global as anything else . . . and on the move.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are moving our way toward the end of my story about the nation state. I devote this final section of our course to the meaning of Globalization<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0Nation State<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Sad to say, the Coronavirus pandemic is as good an example of globalization as any other.\u00a0 Suddenly, we have been awakened to a fact that most people in the world have experienced their entire lives:\u00a0 We are vulnerable. And we will experience the Coronavirus\u2019s social, economic, and political consequences for the rest of our lives.\u00a0 Let me count some of the ways:\u00a0 lasting health problems; increasing levels of political polarization; a sharp decline in economic productivity, rampant inflation; labor shortages; mass migration of peoples; stagnating population growth; decreasing life expectancy; greater international tensions; and many. many more worrisom scenarios.<\/p>\n

The term \u201cglobalization\u201d has become a cliche. It is frequently used as though it were a recent discovery. And myriad universities and corporations have rushed to define themselves as global enterprises. I am uncomfortable with the concept because it is so vague.\u00a0 If we define globalization as a massive expansion in contacts and communications\u00a0 among peoples and the spread of new technologies, I\u2019m afraid that Genghis Khan (1162-1227 AD) and Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) would be offended by being excluded.<\/p>\n

To avoid the problem of stretching the concept to the point where it is useless, I will focus on a few contemporary ways in which they world has become, as they say, \u201ca smaller place.\u201d\u00a0 To do this, I will debunk three popular mythologies about where we are and where we are going.\u00a0 These are the myths of global rationality; terrorist irrationality; and the liberal-democratic end of history.\u00a0 When I get to the last point, you will see that we have returned to the questions I raised on the first day of our course.<\/p>\n

Consider this manifestation of globalization and the coming together of the American fabric:\u00a0 The Funeral of Knut Rockne and the American Experience<\/a><\/p>\n

36. LECTURE: Wednesday, November 17<\/strong><\/p>\n

Myth #1<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe spread of global liberalism is rational.\u201d\u00a0 No, it\u2019s not always rational!\u00a0 Its effects are often counterproductive and destabilizing.<\/p>\n

Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 \u00a0Because we in the West like to view ourselves as the telos<\/em> (or inevitable destination) of humanity, we like to associate the idea of \u201cglobalization\u201d with the\u00a0 spread of our own values.\u00a0 However, it\u2019s sheer mythology to imagine that these values are uniformly appropriate for the rest of the world.\u00a0 Ironically, even our classical onception of “liberalism” has become ossified.\u00a0 As Weber would say, contemporary liberalism, or what goes by that name, is locked into an “iron cage.”<\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:\u00a0 So, is globalization good or bad?\u00a0 Or should we frame the question differently?\"\"<\/p>\n

Globalization and the Mythology\u00a0of Coca-Cola\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Benjamin Barber, \u201cJihad vs. McWorld\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

John Rapley: \u201cThe New Middle Ages,\u201d\u00a0Foreign Affairs<\/em>\u00a0(May-June 2006) \u00a0At JSTOR, then search through ProQuest Social Science Journals:\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe French Colonialist\u2019s Global Comeuppance,\u201d\u00a0Foreign Policy<\/em>, January 2015:\u00a0 Locate at Hesburgh\u2019s eJournal\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

38.\u00a0 DISCUSSION: Friday, November 19<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peitong’s sections<\/span> will focus on this theme and paragraph:<\/p>\n

“The poor have an epistemological advantage over the affluent. Unlike the rich, only they can see reality for what it is.”<\/p>\n

Is the above statement true? If so, why; if not, why? Please\u00a0c<\/strong>hoose one social justice issue<\/strong>\u00a0that arises in\u00a0Child of the Dark<\/em>\u00a0and respond to this question in a concise paragraph of no more than 6 sentences.<\/p>\n

KJ’s sections<\/span> will focus on the following theme and paragraph from last Friday’s discussion section:<\/p>\n

What message might Carolina Maria de Jesus to convey to American citizens?<\/p>\n

What is a Roman Catholic\u2019s responsibility to the poor?\u00a0 Leondardo Boff, a key proponent of \u201cliberation theology,\u201d comments:\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

On the poverty of voluntourism\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The inequality of opportunity in America:\u00a0\u00a0WATCH<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 I particularly like the reference to John 3: 17-18.<\/p>\n

Can Notre Dame be a truly Catholic institution and not practice liberation theology?\u00a0 What would it mean to practice liberation theology.\u00a0 Interestingly, the preeminent figure in liberation theology, Gustavo Guti\u00e9rrez, teaches at Notre Dame!\u00a0 See\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Paragraph assignment:<\/p>\n

\u201cCan Notre Dame be a truly Catholic institution and not practice liberation theology?\u201d<\/p>\n

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39. LECTURE: Monday, November 22<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Myth\u00a0#2<\/em>:\u00a0 \u201cGlobal Terrorism is irrational.\u201d\u00a0 No, it\u2019s often frighteningly rational!\"\"<\/p>\n

Reflections on a weapon of the weak: Terrorism
\nMy focus on the rational roots of inhumanity.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sanche de Gramont, \u201cThe Transformation of Moral Idealism into Violent Revolution\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Dale Eickelman: \u201cThe public sphere, the Arab \u2018Street\u2019, and the Middle East\u2019s Democracy Deficit\u201d: READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Osama bin Laden: \u201cTranscript of Speech,\u201d Al\u00a0Jazeera.com<\/span>, Nov. 1, 2004\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Weiyi Cai,<\/span> \u201cAttacks by White Extremists Are Growing. So Are Their Connections,\u201d New York Times<\/em>, April 3, 2019 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Julia Carrie Wong, \u201cThe physics professor who says online extremists act like curdled milk,\u201d\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>, August 23, 2019\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\nTHANKSGIVING BREAK:\u00a0 November 24-28<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n40.\u00a0 CLASS VISIT:\u00a0 Monday, November 29<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A conversation about Hope<\/em> with Mary Kate Battle (ND ’10) of Catholic Relief Services (and yet another survivor of World Politics). Mary Kate is a\u00a0member of the inaugural class of the Domer Dozen:\u00a0 WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

Mary Kate will talk about her experiences with the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh<\/p>\n

In preparation\u00a0 for our discussion\u00a0 with Mary Kate, please read the following (very short) article about the sources of the refugee crisis:\u00a0 HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

And this even shorter article about Bangladesh’s strange idea of a solution to the criris HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

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41. LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, December 1<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Reflections on liberal democracy:\u00a0 My bias for hope
\n<\/em>
\nToday\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: It\u2019s hard to be optimistic about the chances for global liberalism, especially as we struggle with the devastating consequences of a pandemic.\u00a0 But it\u2019s reasonable to be hopeful.\u00a0 It\u2019s also necessary.<\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Samuel Huntington: \u201cDemocracy\u2019s Third Wave,\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Journal of Democracy<\/em>, Spring 1991. See JSTOR through Hesburgh online, PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Knowledge@Wharton, \u201cLew Gerstner\u2019s turnaround tales at IBM,\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Cas Mudde, \u201cIt\u2019s fashionable to say that democracies are dying,\u201d\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>,\u00a0January 28, 2018\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

And yet there’s reason to be concerned. See this Freedom House report on the state of democracy in the US:\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

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42. DISCUSSION SECTION: Friday, December 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Has political history, as we have known it come to an end (see Fukuyama), or are we destined to relive the conflicts of the past (see Stanley and Lee)?<\/p>\n

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For this discussion, read only Fukuyama\u2019s Introduction and Sections 3 and 4.<\/p>\n

Francis Fukuyama: \u201cEnd of History,\u201d\u00a0National Interest<\/em>, Summer 1989 \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Timothy Stanley and Alexander Lee, \u201cIt\u2019s still not the end of history\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Paragraph assignment:\u00a0 Let’s say Fukuyama is wrong and the United States is not the end of history.\u00a0 What will come next?<\/p>\n

43. LECTURE: Monday, December <\/em><\/strong>Myth #3<\/p>\n

“We are the end of history”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

No, we’re not! (For video evidence, see here<\/a>). The challenge is to explain why.<\/p>\n

From COVID to political change and Hope:<\/p>\n

Damien Cave and Christopher Schuetze, “Contending with the pandemic, wealthy nations wage global battle for migrants” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Zeynep Tufekci, “The Unvaccinated May Not Be Who You Think” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Katherine Davidson, “Workers of the world unite! How the post-pandemic economic revovery is increasing the bargaining power of labour”\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Think about how the spread of Spanish in the US (as well as on the Notre Dame campus) can give us grounds for hope for the flourishing of liberal democracy<\/p>\n

John McWhorter, “America has far more than one Spanglish” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Matt Wolf, “West Side Story in Spanish? You’re speaking my language now” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

And even if liberalism loses the battle, perhjaps there a chance we can bring it back!<\/p>\n

Henry M. Paulson, “We\u2019re Living Through One of the Most Explosive Extinction Episodes Ever”\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Elizabeth Quill, “These are the extinct animals we can and should resurrect” READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Your final essay assignment is HERE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART V We are moving our way toward the end of my story about the nation state. I devote this final section of our course to the meaning of Globalization\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0Nation State.\u00a0 Sad to say, the Coronavirus pandemic is as good an example of globalization as any other.\u00a0 Suddenly, we have been awakened to a fact … Continue reading “Global Uncertainty”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-126","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1026,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126\/revisions\/1026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}