4th Blog Post

After reading Foer’s book  “How Soccer Explains the World”, I have gained a deeper understanding of how the sport of soccer is more than just a sport. I have learned that soccer not only depicts many aspects of globalization but it also has a direct correlation with a globalizing international society. Throughout the course of the book Foer enlightens the reader of how the world of soccer is similar to a international economy, a clash of civilizations, and social class division. Some of these characteristics were exemplified more thoroughly in chapter eight, How Soccer Explains The Discreet Charm of Bourgeois Nationalism. In this chapter Foer explains the politics of the process of picking a favorite soccer team. He begins the chapter by describing his thought process in picking a favorite team. He tells us that he did not choose the best teams because all they did was “buy championships” and he did not choose certain other team because of their unlikeable culture in terms of discrimination and liberalist views. Next Foer describes the specific culture of his chosen team, Barca, and why he believes that they are the best team to root for. Teams such as; Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus are considered by Foer as multinational conglomerates. These teams use money to win games. However Barca is a team that holds moral standards and has no issue in releasing or opting out of signing a star player because he doesn’t follow the culture. This example of picking a favorite soccer team represents a division of social hierarchy in a globalizing society. Foer’s purpose throughout this chapter is to demonstrate how he favors a middle-class team with more moral standards to an extremely wealthy conglomerate that simply has the advantage in the purchasing power of star player.  The politics of choosing a soccer team is incredibly similar to the structure of social hierarchy in a globalizing society.

             

Fourth Blog Post

How Soccer Explains the World, a book written by Franklin Foer to offer a theory of globalization through examination of professional soccer, reveals how corporations have the power to control significant portions of a nation. Calling it a kind of neo-medievalism, the corporate influence inside of the soccer clubs is not only powerful, but telling of the kind of control multi-national corporations have over every other corner of the world. Broken down in chapter 7, How Soccer Explains the New Oligarchs, Foer uses the example of AC Milan, and its infamous owner, Silvio Berlusconi. Just as Berlusconi’s power and influence over the soccer club translated into real political power following his rise to Prime Minister of Italy, so too is there a connection between wealthy tycoons and business leaders to the powers that be across the developed world.

Globalization, for all the benefits it has brought society in terms of access to goods and the spread of culture, has resulted in the unprecedented spread of private corporations into the public sphere. The owners of the Juventus soccer club, the Agnelli family was, for all intents and purposes, a royal family within Italy. Through their ownership and influence in banking, finance, and publishing, the Agnelli’s were untouchable. Even the Prime Minister of Italy had to “polish the Angellis’ doorknob,” as an old joke went. While this sounds terrifying, similar trends have emerged among the billionaire elite here in the United States and around the world. Whereas in years prior such power was hidden and used behind the scenes, the elite are now openly known.

They are, however, largely immune to the rule of law, protected by loopholes, legal restrictions, and more than a few greased hands. While it would be poor form to simply assume that politicians are largely corrupt and exist solely to serve the wealthy, it would be inaccurate to assume that it isn’t happening at all levels of government. In the instances where the wealthy are punished for obvious crimes, sentences are usually much lighter than those inflicted upon average members of society. With no one willing or able to stop them, corporate leaders continue to push for greater control of industries, sectors, even parts of countries.

Soccer is but one area of life where this obvious influence can be seen and measured. By taking note of how oligarchs of the past have behaved as opposed to current corporate backers, we can analyze the use and spread of their influence in other areas as well. Only by properly identifying and checking their power can society prevent a corporate takeover from usurping the power of elected officials. In the largely democratic society most developed countries find themselves in, it is to be expected that only those elected should have power over others. Those whose sole claim to legitimacy is wealth, however, must be confined solely to the free market economy, lest they attempt a power grab.

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     One of the concepts that resonated with me in Foers book is the concept of how soccer teams in Europe represent the class, ethnicity and religion of the area that the team is from.  This is interesting because it creates a stronger bond between the people of the area.  This feeling can create a feeling of nationalism for the area and it also makes it possible to develop prejudices against other teams for racist, and Anti-Semetic reasons.  This parallels the idea of different countries hating each other because of race or religion.  This is a major reoccurring theme in the world.  Countries and soccer teams in Europe share the same type of method in which they stereotype their enemies. 

            One of the major issues this country faces is the way that we as individuals perceive other countries.  Not only do we generalize nations, we also don’t account for the way in which things change overtime.  For instance, Canada is considered as country full of lumberjacks that are all overly friendly.  This possibly could have been the case years ago in certain places, but in general it is a country filled with diverse people.  These kind of misconceptions make it hard for people to relate to people of other countries and creates unnecessary problems between them.  It is unfortunate that people let stereotypes effect the way they treat and think about other nations.  I think that if this kind of nationalism that promotes hatred continues it will be impossible for people from different places to respect each other and come together in times of crisis.  Although globalization does make it easier for different people to relate to each other, this boundary will exist for as long as people perpetuate lies about other nations.  Stereotypes are cruel and for the most part incorrect assumptions.  It is the responsibility of individual people to rise above this and find a way to understand that all people no matter where they are from are individuals and should not be grouped together as one.

            Nationalism and Globalization can sometimes oppose each other and it is important for people of a country to be able to have pride in their country without having negative and mean perceptions of other countries.  It is however undeniable that there is a strong parallel between the fans of soccer teams and the citizens of countries.

Fourth Blog Post

In How Soccer Explains the World, Franklin Foer uses soccer as an international phenomenon to display different aspects of globalization. In the chapter How Soccer Explains the Black Carpathians he uses the Ukrainian soccer clubs importing Nigerians to keep their teams competitive to relate a central feature of globalization, various states going overseas to bring in foreigners they believe can perform a certain job better. While there are certainly some advantages to this feature of globalization, I believe it is overall a negative, as it creates an identity crisis for the state in question, in this case Ukraine. Foer gives several examples of this problem throughout the chapter.

            In lecture and mostly in discussion we identified the “winners” and “losers” of importing jobs in globalization. Along with large corporations who we felt benefited most from globalization, we established individuals with desirable skills who are able to leave their current state for a better life due to globalization among the winners. Chiefly among the losers however we listed those losing jobs to this process. Displaying larger issues using soccer as a model, Foer writes, “Why not invest the money spent on Edward [the Nigerian import subject of the chapter] into the development of young Ukrainian talent?” (Foer 157) This illustrates the “loser” aspect of globalization. Due to the ease of international trade and travel with globalization, instead of attempting to develop talent within a certain state, that state is more likely to import when it is the easier route. In Foer’s example, the “losers” are those ten Ukrainian players the captain claims they could have developed for the price spent on importing Edward. (Foer 157) More specifically, players on the team whose spots Edward and other imports taken are now out of a job, as almost always takes place in this type of situation. This is very clearly a problem for citizens in a global society losing jobs to foreigners that corporations feel will get the job done more efficiently.

            In addition to this aspect of globalization creating clear-cut losers of globalization, this process also creates a loss of cultural identity within a state. This loss of cultural identity typically works to lower the morale of citizens. This loss of morale tends to be very widespread, and is a large problem for leaders of a state, more so than simply specific losers identified earlier. Foer explains this problem clearly, stating “Ukrainians imagined that they were once a great soccer nation. Now they needed Nigerians to become great again. This fact couldn’t be read any other way: It was a humiliation.” (Foer 157) With soccer being one example of this phenomenon, this humiliation and loss of identity could be paralleled to any instance of a state importing foreigners for a certain job they feel their citizens cannot perform as well. It is simply natural that citizens will begin to feel uneasy with a large amount of foreigners taking jobs once possessed by natives of this particular state. As a backer of constructivism I believe cultural identity is very important and there is no doubt that this process can gradually erode cultural identity.

Depending on the job in question, this loss of morale could be very significant and even cause citizens to feel some animosity towards leaders of the state making these decisions to import. One aspect of a state being successful we identified a few weeks back is a manageable relationship between state citizens and leaders. There is a possibility that the importation of foreigners becoming more and more commonplace in modern society can make this relationship worse. I simply believe that the risks of the drastically increased importation of foreigners due to globalization becoming too widespread far outweigh the advantages in certain areas that leaders feel they can gain.

Third Blog Post: Finding Peace in a M.A.D. World

It is an idealistic goal to push for the complete and total disarmament of a classification of weapons with the power to put an end to all of humanity. Though only used twice in the history of their existence, nuclear devices are known as Weapons of Mass Destruction, WMDs for short, because of their destructive capabilities. As of today, nine countries have known stockpiles of nuclear weapons, with the total number of warheads reaching 16,000, enough to wipe out entire continents.  Recognizing the dangerous power that these missiles hold, numerous treaties and organizations have made it their mission to stop the proliferation of, and ultimately destroy, these terrifying weapons of war. However, while their ideals may be positive, the idea of creating a nuclear-free world is not only unrealistic, but also dangerous to maintaining international peace.

One of the main components of the nuclear arms race of the Cold War was second strike capability. This meant that, in the event of an all-out nuclear strike by the enemy, the U.S., or the Soviets, would still be capable of launching their own missiles in retaliation. This ability led to the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.) which dominated the latter half of the Twentieth Century. No matter how many nuclear missiles one nation possessed, after crossing a certain threshold, there is no way to better increase security against the threat of nuclear war. As terrifying as this sounds, it actually leads to a Nash equilibrium, whereby two nations, both possessing nuclear weapons, has any reason to engage in hostile action, for fear of destroying itself. 

Thomas Schelling, author of A World Without Nuclear Weapons argues that the destruction of nukes would not only fail to make the world safer, but might possibly lead to nuclear war. In the instance of war where a country is facing outright destruction, it is impossible to expect that nation to abide by whatever international law might ban it from launching nuclear weapons. If leaders become desperate enough, nuclear missiles will be used, as has been the case since their inception. In the case of a “non-nuclear” world, however, the speed at which nations can mobilize will disrupt the Nash equilibrium. Nations, in order to avoid nuclear war, have to be in constant fear of assured destruction.

Politicians and scholars like Henry Sokolowski, however, feel that the proliferation of nuclear weapons might lead to destabilization, and, in some cases, almost certain war. This flawed logic rests on the notion that countries like Iran are somehow less prone to rational action than other nations. In reality, a nuclear Iran, much like a nuclear India and Pakistan, would have no reason to start picking fights with its neighbors, for fear of utter destruction. While it may not be safe to embrace the idea of giving every nation a stockpile of nukes, Iran’s entrance into the “Nuclear Club” is unlikely to cause any great tremors in global politics. In fact, its newfound status may result in Iranian leaders becoming more cautious in the way they portray themselves to other nations. 

A Nuclear free world sounds desirable only until one considers the fact that nations are focused on security, and can be distrustful of other countries’ motives when they have the power to inflict utter destruction. When the stakes become this high, Realism is the only paradigm that can provide a sufficient solution. If every nuclear state fears being destroyed by another nuclear state, then nuclear war will never start. While fear is not a very delightful motivator, it is, in this case, a necessary one in that it can bring warring parties to the negotiating table, no matter how high tensions may run. A nuclear world is therefore a safer world, because no nation can effectively stop nuclear weapons, and thus, no nation will ever use them, lest they wish to encounter the calamity that is Mutually Assured Destruction. 

Third Post

In Benjamin Cohen’s article “The Bretton Woods System,” Cohen defines and explains the principles of the Bretton Wood system. Consequently, he demonstrates the implicit benefit that the United States obtains. After reading this article I was intrigued by the information Cohen provided regarding how the two international organizations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), work in favor of the United States.

            The Bretton Woods system is an international monetary regime that derived from the end of World War II until 1970’s being defined as “a monetary regime joining an essentially unchanged gold exchange standard, supplemented only by a centralized pool of gold and national currencies, with an entirely new exchange rate system of adjustable pegs” (Cohen 86). From this system two international monetary organizations were developed, the World Bank and IMF. Although these organizations were created to benefit all states, in Cohen’s article and in lecture’s presentation, it becomes apparent that this monetary regime has higher influence on the United State’s hegemony. For example, the primary function of the IMF was to “help states maintain peg to U.S. dollar through loans that would fight inflation or deflation in exchange rates” (Lecture 19). Noticeably, maintaining the peg to the United States’ dollar only benefits the United States, because the dollar is one of the most expensive currencies therefore, other states with lower currency value are subjugated to a higher exchange rate set at the value of the United States dollar. In essence, the state with the less valued currency will receive fewer US dollars due to the high exchange rate. Subsequently, the US dollar can be exchanged for a lot higher amount in a different state. Cohen notes in his article, “in effect, an implicit bargain was struck” (87). Nevertheless, the Bretton Wood system was a primary contribution to the supremacy of the United States.

            It strikes me as rather thought provoking that the purpose of the Bretton Woods System and organizations like the IMF and World Bank is to aid all states yet it evidently benefits only one, the United States. Furthermore, the United States acquired an advantage that allowed them to have the capability to control the financial speculations of the world. Cohen demonstrates three ways in which US hegemony was employed. First, a relatively open market was provided for imports of foreign good. Second, a generous flow of long-term loans and grants was created, such as the Marshall Plan. Lastly, a liberal lending policy was established for provision of shorter-term funds in time of crisis (86). These three principles exemplified the upper hand that the United States had on foreign states through these world monetary organizations. They were able to establish long-term loans, which inevitably put other states into debt with the World Bank, IMF, and ultimately the United States. The open market was also a benefit solely for the United States as well because since the exchange rate was more beneficial to the US dollar, more foreign goods could be purchased. Thus making foreign imports less expensive for US consumers. Finally the liberal lending policy for shorter-term funds in the times of crisis were another way for the World Bank, IMF, and the United States to gain profit. As it states in the article, the revenues from the world monetary organizations where received from the interest given on loans. Therefore the IMF and World Bank, under the Bretton Woods System, were reluctant to grant expensive loans for the sole purpose that the state would owe much more in return. And the United States benefitted from this principle because the currency value is higher so they would not owe nearly as much interest with respect to the amount taken. 

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The Bretton Woods System is a perfect example of the Hegemonic stability theory mentioned by Cohen is his essay.   This theory states that an international system can be strongest when one nation is leading it.  In the time following world war two, America embodied this theory by fixing other nations to the U.S. dollar. Through the action of the U.S. taking on this kind of monetary position at such a huge turning point in the world, they were making a statement that they were the strongest nation.  In discussion we came to the conclusion that the main reason that the U.S. agreed to fix all other currencies to the American dollar was simply because we were in a better position than most other countries economically at the time and we wanted to lend a helping hand.  I think that although the U.S. participated for the most part with the interest of helping the world recover from the disastrous effects of World War 2, they also wanted to make it known world wide that they were a predominant force.  I also believe that although eventually in the early 1970s the practice of this system stopped, it was a great example of the importance of hegemony when the world is looking for leadership.  Although in general all countries work mostly to support themselves, the Bretton Woods System shows that it is important for one country to step up and support many nations to lead everyone into a better era.

            The strong position that the U.S. took in the Bretton woods system wasn’t the only economic move they made around this time.  They also were responsible for the Marshall plan, which gave an enormous amount of money to help rebuild Europe.  Through this action it is clear that the U.S. was the fixer of this time period.   They emerged as not only a strong economic power, but as a stable and responsible nation.  Many countries can be wealthy, but it is a completely thing to use that wealth to support others especially in a very tough time.  The Bretton Woods system is much more than just an economic move, it showed all other nations that they could trust the U.S. to be stable and to step in when help is needed.