Hines shows how 'it is crucial to play the globalizers at their own game. From this end goal comes a clear set of policies and trade rules supporting their approach. Those seeking a more just, secure and environmentally sustainable future need to be clear about their own end goal and the policies for achieving it. This book has been written to kick-start the debate. It aims to produce a 'mindwrench' away from simply opposing globalization towards the policies that will deliver its alternative - localization.
Localization reverses the trend of globalization by discriminating in favour of the local.
Depending on context, the 'local' may be part of a nation state, the state itself or even a regional grouping of states. At the heart of localization is a rejection of today's environmentally and socially damaging subservience to the shibboleth of 'international competitiveness'. In its place we must prioritize local production and the protection and diversification of local economies. What can sensibly be produced within a nation or a region should be. Long-distance trade should supply only what cannot be produced within the local economy.