This book traces the history of globalization from the first wave of colonialization in the 15th century up to the contemporary period in which globalization appears to be teetering on the brink of collapse. It explores the impacts of globalization on today’s world, from global supply chains and tax havens to rising economic inequality, climate change and pandemics, and assesses the different impacts on rich and poor countries, and on the rich and poor within countries. In the context of rising anti-globalization sentiment and populist nationalist backlash, the book critically assesses a range of possible scenarios for the future world order, including nationalism, authoritarianism and democratic globalism, and considers whether globalization can be democratized in a world in which effective and inclusive global governance is crucial to solving shared global problems.
Translated into Norwegian: Kan Globalisering Lykkes
Praise
“Freeman’s sharp analysis goes beyond the ordinary understanding of neoliberalism as an economic system and powerfully dissects how the unleashing of unregulated and financialized capital has hollowed out democratic institutions and led to the demise of participation and decision-making by ordinary citizens… In turn she makes a strong case that our future should be one of democratic internationalism, or indeed democratic globalism, and eloquently introduces some of the prominent proposals aiming at the creation of a global democratic governance structure… Contrary to many contemporary critiques of globalization, Freeman leaves her readers in hope that globalization’s most successful, fair, and egalitarian hours might still lie ahead of us”.
— Tatjana Söding, Researcher, Zetkin Collective, and Associate, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung.