The State of Our World: Globalism in the UK, China, Russia, Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico

Justin Diamond
September 5th, 2017

The State of Our World
The state of our world is ever changing, as each day our world becomes smaller. The blanket term often used to describe this evolutionary stage of civilization is “Globalization.” In researching governments such as the UK, China, Russia, Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico, I learned that the driving force behind most contemporary issues is globalism, or the global shift towards interdependent and collaborative nations. While many nations embrace the effects of globalism, just as many resist the trend- either seeking total sovereignty or hoping to drive away foreign influence. Today, our world is more peaceful than ever. Yes- terror attacks may have shock value- but it is important to remember that the nations of our world have indeed seen a lasting peace, and to put it simply, less people are dying. Yet I think we are fighting the greatest war of all time, a war between each and every nation, a war over globalism.
The United Kingdom has been rattled by its (narrowly successful) referendum to leave the European Union in a decision dubbed ‘Brexit.’ This vote, according to Mark Easton, author of the article “A Less Than United Kingdom,” was a contest between globalist and independent sentiment in the UK (UK, Article 1). This would explain why soon after the ‘Brexit’ referendum, Scotland would demand yet another independence vote, as the Scots had decided overwhelmingly to stay in the European Union. This is because the Scottish people rely on globalist trends to maintain relevance (UK, Article 2).
In Mexico, the hunt is on for a candidate in the next election who can embody the idea of a ‘Macron Mexicano,’ or a Mexican Macron, capable of winning against populist, anti-globalist sentiment in Mexico (Mexico, Article 3) However, Trump’s election has only amplified the voices of discontent in Mexico and strengthened the campaign of López Obrador, a leftist and anti-globalist. Issues within Mexico, such as surging drug-related homicides and government corruption, compel Mexicans to look inward- not to the rest of the world (Mexico, Article 1).
Russia provides a more imperialistic take on globalism- particularly in the Islamic world- enforcing its military, economic, and political interests on puppets (Khamenei, Assad, Erdogan) regardless of religious distinction (Russia, Article 1). However, these mutual agreements with leaders in the middle east pale in comparison to blatant Russian aggression in areas such as Crimea, which was promptly annexed by Russia after a convenient rebellion against Ukraine (Russia, Article 1). This track record gives NATO and a handful of citizens a reason to fear upcoming military exercises by the Russian military within Belarus (Russia, Article 3). Putin is able to reinforce Russian interests through the mechanisms of globalism, such as the UN Security Council.
The Chinese government is steadfast in its pursuit to strongarm its way to the forefront of the global economy. It’s policies in dealing with ASEAN aligned nations have been heavy handed, and China seems unwilling to surrender even an inch of territory in the South China Sea (China, Article 1). China has also been employing chequebook diplomacy, practically paying Cambodia to act as its ASEAN proxy in negotiations over the $1 trillion dollar row of sea (China, Article 1). Despite hostility over such disputes, the nations have agreed to come together and craft an agreement to settle the borders once and for all. This is a key step towards globalization- learning to collaborate and reach agreements through diplomacy- even if the negotiations will be on Chinese terms.
Economic globalization has brought Iran into the fold recently, as they’ve signed the JCPOA “Nuclear” Deal with the United States of America and five other major world powers (Iran, Article 1). However, this has caused some friction- as the United States is now criticizing Iran for not upholding this binding agreements- as they’ve launched a space program (Iran, Article 1). This is a primary example of how international agreements can intrude upon national sovereignty, and it is a major pitfall of globalism. Some Iranian lawmakers have also been criticizing the United States for its recent “Travel Ban” from muslim majority nations, as they believe it to be a violation of the agreement as well (Iran, Article 3). Social and cultural globalization is also present in Iran, as there is a growing demand for the appointment of female ministers into the president’s cabinet (Iran, Article 2). President Rouhani has failed to appoint any female ministers in his first term, and is now under pressure to do so as some Iranians consider their nation to be too far behind with regards to women’s equality in government (Iran, Article 2).
Nigeria is working hard to compete with the global economy, and has even changed its economic policies to reflect the desire to increase competitiveness (Nigeria, Article 1). The financial minister of Nigeria, Udoma Udo Udoma, knows that Nigeria may struggle to get involved in the global economy- yet he is embracing globalization for its many benefits and trying to adapt their economy to be well suited for globalist economic trends (Nigeria, Article 1). Similarly to Iran, many women in Nigeria are working towards equality in government, and are demanding that the political parties of Nigeria allow greater female participation in politics (Nigeria, Article 3). Women currently hold less than 6% of positions in the Nigerian government, but a major source of their inspiration to work towards more equality are surrounding African nations- like Rwanda, which has 66% of its positions filled by women (Nigeria, Article 3).
The state of our world is ever changing, as each day our world becomes smaller. The blanket term often used to describe this evolutionary stage of civilization is “Globalization.” In researching governments such as the UK, China, Russia, Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico, I learned that the driving force behind most contemporary issues is globalism, or the global shift towards interdependent and collaborative nations. While many nations embrace the effects of globalism, just as many resist the trend- either seeking total sovereignty or hoping to drive away foreign influence. Regardless of which nations accept or reject the influence of globalism, communication will become easier, transportation will become quicker, and our societies will grow to become more similar than we could ever imagine. Even if some countries lag behind, or others get too ahead of themselves- our world is getting smaller each and every day.