TERRY MOSHER
These are scary times for me because I know what is going on, and not just here in America, but around the world, and I believe what is happening is a reversing of history and time,
In simple terms, people are scared.
That’s it. That’s it all wrapped in one word: scared.
Well, it’s not really that simple. But it’s close. A majority of people around the world are objecting to globalization.
To better understand that, we need to define globalization. It is a process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.
The scary part is twofold. First, as countries develop they are dependent on other markets to expand. I can’t grow if I don’t have things I can export for profit and I can’t expand if there are no markets where I can export
It gets very complicated because rich countries can take advantage of poor countries by moving their companies there so they can produce their products with cheap labor and then turn and export that product back to their country at tremendous profit.
That process does little to help the poorer country develop. So in order to help, rich countries reach trade agreements that benefit each other and help the poorer country develop in the process.
So in globalization we become dependent on each other and benefit each other. In the process, it is natural for the rich country to have a slower growth while the poorer country has faster growth. In theory, the end result is that both economies would level out on an equal basis.
Citizens of the rich countries, however, become scared that their economics become weaken and cost of living – stagnant wages – rises, creating frustration and anger. Why, they argue, must we suffer so others can join rise up and join the list of developed countries?
The second scary part has been the refugee crisis caused by the wars primarily in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and the rise because of those wars a vacuum that has created space for so-called religious groups – ISIS for example – to rush in and exert power over entire regions with brutal force.
As those religious groups expand, they threaten civilized countries with terror. The reaction to that is to call for border protection and a ban on those countries where these groups reside.
The end result is a rise of nationalism – white nationalism – here and aboard. Along with this nationalism is an inbred threat to freedom of speech and liberty that its promoters say must be done to protect ourselves.
Thus you have here in this country the rise of Trumpism with more than a hint of authoritarianism (the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom).
The refugee crisis created Brexit in England because people were scared they were no longer in control of their own destiny and wanted out of the European Union. And now you have the far-right (white nationalism) sweeping Europe. In France, the far-right’s Le Pen rails against globalization and radical Islam and is a serious contender in the presidential election that will be held in April.
An additional factor in all of this is the meddling in elections by Russia, not just here in this country, but across Europe. Putin would like to reestablish Russia’s once great empire and apparently part of that approach is to destabilize not only this country but most of Europe. His end game would be to annex most of the former Russian empire and become a great power, which if achieved would spell doom for freedom lovers around the globe.
I personally don’t believe you can in the end stop globalization, not without overpowering force anyway. I think it’s basic human nature to want to move forward and progress toward security and freedoms and that the wave of nationalism will die out once people realize that you can’t isolate yourself ‑ build walls on the border and start trade wars ‑ and that we all are interconnected here on this planet and if we are to survive we must guard and make safe our environment against the dangers of raping it into deadly submission and lift each other up instead of tearing each other apart.
But the sad, and tragic, part of all this is that we may have to go through this nationalistic period before we come to our senses. How we survive this period and what shape we will be in when we come out of it is a million dollar question.
Will we, for example, be governed by a dictatorship for a time?
Will we cause so much damage to our environment that human life won’t be able to sustain itself?
And will the once great United States of American be broken apart in weaken pieces?
I’m fearful for the future, but the good part for me is that my time on this Earth is limited so I might not be around for the worse part of nationalism. That’s the coward in me. I can just say, “I’m outta here” and leave it to others to suffer and find a way to once again become great and a wonderful beacon for freedom and liberty.
With that, I am outta here so I can prepare for the Super Bowl.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day
You are loved.