Issues: Capitalism > Feminism, Humans, Justice...

Many people see globalization as this great force sweeping the world, the new Industrial Revolution, the next logical step in the advancement of humanity. In school, we’re taught to believe this, and that information has never been more readily available throughout the world, and the people can communicate with each other all over the world. We’re told that it’s beneficial to all societies, that it offers jobs that stimulate the economies of poor countries, and brings them “opportunity.” But, as Woodhull points out in the very beginning of her essay, “[most of these feminist websites] mistakenly assume that their sincere appeal to feminist action, self-help, and solidarity really addresses a worldwide audience” (IWS 255).

I’d like to ponder the following quote from Woodhull’s essay: “A transnational public sphere is important because it is rooted in civil society, that is, a social space that is controlled neither by the market nor by national government…” (IWS 256). I hate to be so skeptical, because I’m usually so optimistic, but does this kind of transnational public sphere really exist? How can it, unless globalization is redirected into a more collectivistic endeavor?

The individualistic focus of the “American Dream” scares me enough when it’s contained inside of the U.S., but the more I think about globalization, the more I feel like the US is in a constant war against US domination, and their (our?) only goal is to spread “democracy” and capitalism, because those two in conjunction seem to be just [sarcasm font] so effective [/sarcasm font]. But what do they achieve? And how do women fit into the picture – not just American women, but women of the third world, as mentioned in the readings? How is it beneficial that while major US corporations benefit from outsourcing, the factories discriminate against women in numerous ways, such as pregnancy tests and unlivable wages (Sex Discrimination in the Maquiladoras, IWS 467)? How can American feminists, the middle-class women with the time and skills to program a website directed at a world-wide audience, be so blind to the truth that women in the third world aren’t checking their emails for their feminist listserv updates?

I had to look up Juarez on Wikipedia before I read the graphic novel, and I’m glad I did, because it set up a good context in which to read the graphic novel. The examples of police reactions were horrifying, such as the one police officer telling the people searching for Claudia to “mind their own business” (I Live Here 3). Over 400 women have been victims of “sexual homicides” in Juarez. How can officials not do more to help? How can this mentality be perpetuated? Is it because stopping, intervening, giving women a voice, would have too many other expensive implications? If women were given a voice with which they could defend themselves against these kinds of acts, wouldn’t they then stand up to the Maquiladoras, and cost the multinational corporations incredible amounts of money because of the loss of cheap labor, the gain of justice?

I feel like my thoughts are all over the place, and I think it’s honestly because I’m distressed. Basically, my thoughts come down to this: globalization should really be called, “a war on US domination, and the relentless spread of capitalism, at any cost, in order to make sure that the US is the supreme world power.”

☹ I need a hug.