We are all global citizens now, or so we have been told. But what does this mean? What is this process of globalization that has, well, swept over our globe? And what will be the effects of globalization during our lifetime? What will it be like to live in this new world order?
None of these questions has an easy answer, not only because it is always difficult to see the future, but because (in part because globalization is such a relatively new phenomenon) that there is not yet a consensus even for what globalization encompasses, much less for what its long-term effects might be. But while there is still substantial disagreement on what exactly globalization will mean for all of us, some predictions can certainly be attempted about the direction in which globalization is carrying all of us. And in what direction the World Trade Organization - one of the most important engines of globalization - is taking us.
We should perhaps begin with an attempt to define globalization, which is often used as a synonym for "transnationalism". Globalization in general refers to the ways in which capital, people, information and images and culture now flow back and forth across national borders with a greater ease and greater rapidity than they had before. It would not be possible without current modern technology and e-commerce in all of its various forms - which is one reason why those who advocate further globalization should encourage the WTO to have an active e-commerce policy. It is important to remember this inclusive definition of globalization. It is not simply an economic phenomenon:
People around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more quickly than ever. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are increasingly available in all parts of the world. International travel is more frequent. International communication is commonplace. This phenomenon has been titled "globa...