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Blog Action Day 2008: Which side are you on?
About this event: Blog Action Day 2008
About the book: "The Politics of Empire: Globalisation in Crisis (Transnational Institute)"

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

A few years ago when researching for an essay, whose topic I can't remember anymore, I happened across this passage from a book introduction by Russian sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky and economist Alan Freeman:

"... The globalised world is an imperial one: this fact simply conforms to direct daily experience outside the charmed circles of Western economic fortresses."

It really struck me at the time because it seemed like such a fitting description of the state of things. Instead of classic imperialism there is economic imperialism. And the imagery used in the passage - a 'fortress' - really stuck with me. It seemed to describe a world where there are walls dividing those people who belong to 'charmed circles' - and who are safe and certain within these 'economic fortresses' - and those who live outside the walls, with constant uncertainty and no guarantees. At the time I was particularly obsessed with the fact that it seemed to describe me: a relatively safe and happy person with little idea of what daily life is like for those who aren't lucky enough to be a member of the middle-class in a prosperous country like Canada. And today - Blog Action Day - this passage came back to me again, because today thousands of bloggers will be talking about the 'state of things' described by Kagarlitsky and Freeman: the inequality that exists in our world and the extreme poverty that it produces.

Today the 'Western economic fortresses' seem an especially relevant topic, because the fortresses seem to be shaking - stock markets in New York, London, Tokyo, Moscow, Toronto and elsewhere have spent the last week fluctuating at rates that have never been seen before. This doesn't necessarily mean that the sun is going to stop shining on any of the 'charmed circles' described by Kagarlitsky and Freeman- actually those most affected and hardest hit by an 'economic slowdown', or 'global recession', or 'global financial heart attack', will most likely be those already living with poverty. The same answer applies to the global problems of rising food prices, climate change, and global health threats - like HIV and AIDS, malaria or TB. [Of course calling them 'Western' economic fortresses ignores the poverty that exists inside what are traditionally referred to as 'Western' countries, and there are definitely those living with poverty in both rich and poor countries alike.]

I don't have a particular solution to propose, or action that I think everyone should take, except - if you haven't already - recognizing which side of that divide you might be on. For me, recognizing that was a big step towards getting more informed on the causes of poverty, the proposed solutions, and the biggest threats. Obviously there isn't any big miraculous solution to the issue, but there is always something you can do as an individual, even if it is as simple as recognizing your place within the greater state of things. I think the more you understand about a topic like poverty - not just globally, but within your own community - the more you'll be able to effectively contribute when that opportunity comes along for you to be part of a solution.

[The passage I quoted is from the book 'The Politics of Empire: Globalization in Crisis', pg 27 of the Introduction by Boris Kagarlitsky and Alan Freeman]


October 15, 2008 | 4:07 PM Comments  0 comments

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