That is why Gandhiji pleaded so much for swadeshi and village development. If relative standing in the community is what matters most in protecting public health, then the modern world has been headed in the wrong direction for at least 20 years. Inequality has been increasing for 20 years, and not by accident. Most households in the U.S. have lower net worth than they did in 1983, and the wealthy few are far wealthier than they were in 1983. In other words, the gap between the rich and the rest of us has widened.
Every study confirms that globalization has led to increases in inequality.
It should not be surprising that Diana Smith finds that globalisation has harmed the health of the poor. One wonders why UNDP, which spends such large amounts of money in publishing this report, is unaware of the research and results that contradict its conclusions. Globalization is spurred by the need to obtain resources from poor countries at cheap prices and thereby create further inequalities between those who have and those who can not fight back. It is, in this sense, an imperialistic or neo-colonial process. No amount of painting a human face can change this basic reality.