Assessing Globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration (Reader Response)

In Assessing globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration, Kohut and Wike (2008) discussed the pros and cons of globalisation. The authors started off by stating the benefits of globalisation before proceeding to the drawbacks such as uneven benefits among the people - resulting in the widening income gap - the negative impact on the environment and the demise of their own cultures and traditions. In addition, the influx of immigrants is another rising problem due to globalisation. The authors then further explained the diverse opinions on globalisation and how the people are embracing it with the data collected through surveys from both the developing and developed countries.   

One issue stated by the authors that arises from globalisation is the influx of immigrants. In the article, when the people are questioned for their main reason to leave, most of them in 35 out of 36 countries quoted jobs, while a small part quoted education. This has been caused by the tremendous development of global trade over the years, causing people to move across borders to look for a better job.  However, the increase in immigrants may also be triggered by other reasons - such as a potential war outbreak. For example, the war in Iraq has resulted in the people migrating to a safer location and hence, leading to a rapid increase in immigrants in neighbouring countries like Jordan.

Although it is undeniable that the increase in immigrants has aided in the growth of the country’s economy, it has also increased the competition for jobs between the locals and immigrants. This has been one of the major threat felt by the people. This problem can be seen in Singapore. From a report in The Straits Times (2013), Worker’s Party (WP) stated that the influx of immigrants since 2005 due to the immigration policy has been the source of many problems. It also stated that the nation is slowly losing its own identity, another drawback that was mentioned in this article. Thus, this shows that the drawbacks are not solely on its own but can be one problem leading to another.

In a nutshell, I agree that the prominent drawbacks surfacing have to be taken into deep consideration so as to ensure that our future generations do not live in a polluted world with rising environmental problems, uneven benefits among the people and in a country that is occupied by immigrants and is slowing losing its own identity.