Angela Bacca

In theory, the reason we study history is so that newer generations can learn from the past and do their best not to repeat its failures. Now, 9 years into the new century, it seems as we are being given a pop quiz, and if we don’t pass, we may never make it into the 21st. The economy is failing (The Great Depression), we are engaged in an internationally unpopular war (Vietnam), and this year’s election has been a political breakthrough of sorts- we are choosing candidates based on what they have to say rather than what they are.

Today President Bush met with the G7; Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada to try to hammer out a solution the global economic crisis.

“Bush’s comments were aimed at avoiding the mistakes that worsened economic conditions during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Then, some nations pursued go-it-alone strategies such as erecting protectionist trade barriers to shield their domestic industries. Those trade barriers ended up only worsening the global downturn.
…
Officials from the Group of 20 countries — which include the wealthiest and the world’s biggest developing nations such as China, Brazil and India — planned to attend a meeting Saturday evening that Paulson requested to explain the actions that U.S. and other wealthy nations have taken.”
-Associated Press

Our current response seems to be a narrowed and misinterpreted view of the last 100 years. We cannot simply compare what is happening on Wall Street today to what happened in the Great Depression, this is a more modern dilemma. After World War Two countries struggled with capitalist or communist mentalities to secure finances domestically. Capitalism has ruled, and bestowed us with a globally interwoven chain of banks. The wealthiest nations have the best banks, and with the best banks come the best in modern culture: produced music, technology, innovation and luxury. The trickle down theory was supposed to ensure that as long as the rich were rich the poor would never be “that poor”. What we seemed to ignore was that Capitalism relies on growth, growth of wealth, and it has to come from somewhere.

Globalizing the economy provided the hegemonies with a way of exporting the dirt poor to far away lands, reservations if you will, where we can imagine them only as rustic, exotic, simple ethnics. This seems to be along the approach President Jackson followed with the Native American “problem”. It seemed as if the economy wass the key to conquering our financial manifest destiny.

One of the casualties, however, of a globalized economy is the weakening of every nations’ government’s autonomy. We have created such a globally interwoven economy that if one great hegemony falls, its brings the others down with it. The hegemonies became such because of the exploitation and collapse of Third World governments and their ability to govern or provide for their people. The financial empire has been feasting on a limited supply of Third World, and now there is nothing left to consume.

If I remember correctly, the response and subsequent aftermath of the First World War is what created the Second World War. The response and subsequent aftermath of the Second World War was what created the Cold War, the Vietnam War, The Korean War, both Iraq Wars, the war in Afghanistan, and Israel-Palestine, just to name a few.

The lesson of the 20th Century is that we can no longer globalize the world solely in finances, it doesn’t work that way. If we want to be successful as a global empire we need to start thinking of ourselves as citizens of the world. Decisions should not be made simply by the hegemonies. Decisions need to be made by representatives of the whole globe in order to solve a global market crisis, end these wars, disarm the nukes, reverse global warming, feed and clothe everyone, and be left without a reason to fight wars anymore. Incorporating peace, a clean planet, and all involved parties in decision making is the only way to solve all global crises, to move on to the 21st century, where technology will take us into a newer, better future.