The rules that make globalization work are largely the rules that we have been playing by - the unrestricted flow of information, competition that encourages creativity and innovation, the rule of law that respects human rights and property rights. The founders of our country seemed to understand that such principles not only facilitate the pursuit of happiness, but also the pursuit of economic growth. Someone handed me a recent issue of Science News that had an article about innovation in the animal world. Scientists looked at a variety of studies over the years and found females tend to be more innovative than males in such varied species as guppies, blue jays and chimpanzees. Most animal innovations died with their lowly innovators, the scientists concluded, because no one was watching them.
Globalization means that among human beings, everyone is watching.
Like jokes on the Internet, news of innovations can travel around the world before sundown. I believe Americans will benefit from the ideas and innovations unleashed in developing countries by globalization. Change is inevitable, but prosperity is not. Without safeguards, without democratization, freedom of information and respect for human rights, globalization could become a monolithic monster that gobbles up the weak, ignores human values and human needs and feeds on people instead of feeding them. But it does not have to be that way.