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PROBLEMS OF THE GLOBALIZATION The authors
analyze the global economy by focusing on socio-economic factors in the process
of globalization: the global cultural product; its distribution; dynamic of the
workforce; and the structure of financial network (p. 15). Their analysis
enables us to perceive the dynamic of the global system, how the economic power
is taking over the political power, and what the vision of the innovative
multinational corporations is.
The globalization in our contemporary
world is the product of advanced capitalism which is characterized by uneven
development, hence the separation between northern rich countries and the
southern poor countries face a serious problem. The more serious problems which
we perceive through the authors' analysis are that the development of technology
and production system which results in over production and job crisis (16-18).
Over production causes the ecological problem and job crisis widens a huge gap
between the beneficiaries and the excluded poor and marginal.
In this
complex situation, the authors point out, the expansion of national governments
is still under the influence of economic consequences. The process and result
of globalization led the national officials to function in relation to the
benefit of the multinational corporate and thus carry out the policies on behalf
of this leading minority. As a result, the political social structure of the
world is determined by the global corporate leaders only for their benefit of
financial gaining, thus the majority of the global population are neglected and
excluded from the benefit of the global industries.
The world nowadays
experiences poverty in abundance. How can we name those who suffer poverty?
They are the people who bears the sin of the world without sin. Jon Sobrino
names these people as "the crucified people" since they experience death in
poverty, which is slow but real death. The crucified Jesus, who is the poor,
teaches us, through his life story, to be in solidarity with the poor. One of
the examples is in Mark 2:23-28. One sabbath he was going through the
grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck
heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they
doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have
you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry
and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was
high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful
for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions."
Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not
humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the
sabbath."
When this story is viewed from the poor and marginal
people, the message is not the kerygma about Sabbath, but rather Jesus' being in
solidarity with the people who are hungry. Against the Pharisees claim to keep
the law of the Sabbath, Jesus proclaims that the "Sabbath is for the poor" by
engaging himself with the starving disciples.[Byung Mu Ahn] Here we find the
basis of "the option for the poor" which is revealed in Jesus'
mission.
The church faces many challenges: how the church can be a centre
for those who suffer poverty; how church can influence the government's social
policy. The church must ask questions "who gets the benefit out of the
globalization" and proceed with concrete action for the resolution. However, it
is not a simple and easy way. As the authors mention, the global corporations
are using all the information only for their benefit. It implies that the idea
of structural change will end up as a mere ideal and may not be effective for
the holistic well being of the whole global population. Global integration has
many positive aspects, however, it brings unparalleled prosperity to rich and
poor. It thus creates a new form of global community which will confront the
problems, not from the political conflict between nations or leading economic
forces, but from that between the wealthy forces of globalization and the
marginalized forces of localization.
Most of the world's leading
corporations have positive social force, however, they do not take
responsibility on the long term social or political consequences of their
business activities. Hence, the oppressive structure in our new global system
excludes the poor and marginal from the benefit sharing thus widens and hardens
the gaps separating rich and poor. The authors' claim is true that says that
"no world authority exists to define global welfare, much less to promote it",
and it reminds us the direction of the church's mission to seek for the holistic
welfare for the poor.
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