Jihad+V.S.+McWorld



=This page is for the purposes of discussing the concept of Jihad v.s. Mcworld and how it affects everyone.=

Jihad v. Mcworld was an article written by Benjamin Barber in a 1992 article of Atlantic Monthly that was later turned into a book. The ISBN number is 0-345-3804-4. His article became a popular theory which described globalization and the corporate control of the political process versus tradition and traditional values in the form of extreme nationalism (or religious orthodoxy and theocracy).

"Jihad":
(The Olive Tree) (aka "the struggle") Also known has the Lebonization of the world. Characterized by a tribal point of view with a clear 'us' and 'them' as opposed to viewing the world as more interconnected and borderless. This realm represents traditional values and the increased factionalization that accompanies globalization as a counter-acting force. Often a counter reaction to the extreme western influence growing in many parts of the word. Although this influence may bring economic benefits, it may also bring crime and a destruction of traditional morals and values. It is seen in culturally torn areas that simply want to hold onto their roots; thus Jihad is often an outgrowth of extreme nationalism. What we saw before the Olympics in Beijing and persisting still today in China is the presence of pro-Tibetan liberation movements promoting this cultural region's autonomy and thus creating Jihad effects. Religion and a general fear of outsiders causes countries to fragment and try to block out influences from the outside world. Though traditionally used to refer to religious wars, Jihad is not limited to religion but refers to the "tribalization" of the world in general. Jihad can lead to violence because of the perception that smaller countries must fight to remain culturally independent of larger, domineering countries. These influences are seen as evil or inappropriate; for instance, the Muslim world does not tolerate the style of women's dress present in the Western world. Many countries try to take control to limit the influences of outsiders, like China's use of a firewall to block information access to its residents, or the use of Shari-ah law to maintain rule based on traditional values in Iran and North Nigeria. Jihad is also associated with the fall of secularism across the world stage. In the United States, this new religiousness is associated with the rise of Evangelism in the South, and its rise in the Republican Party under George W. Bush. In Russia, the fall of the Soviet Union has allowed the flourishing of Eastern Orthodox Churches (although it still falters in comparison with pre-1917 levels). In the Middle East, tensions have risen as Jewish fundamentalism (associated with the tensions of the state of Israel). As well, states like Sudan (and, to some extent Nigeria) have grown tense as the Muslim components argue for Shariah law. And Algerian elections at the turn of the century seemed to be moving towards the institution of an Islamic Republic, before they were shut down. Finally, on the European frontier, a rising movement in Turkish Islam has criticized the secular military government.

"McWorld":
(The Lexus) McWorld is the concept of globalization--the decline of proverbial borders. This is marked by increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres.

The effects of McWorld are far-reaching. MNC’s can now be found globally. One can eat the same sandwich or watch the same film in the United States or Kuwait. As an additional note, it seems that the TV show "Desperate Housewives" is a modern phenomenon known to most nations in the world ranging from Germany to China to the Central and Southern Americas.

Made up of 4 imperatives: market, resource, information, ecological. --> market: has reinforced quest for peace and stability, and also shows how the expanding markets are boarders --> resource: leads to interdependence and shows the struggle of trying to find the appropriate sources in a world where depletion is rampant. --> Information and Technological: Accelerating the globalization rate and creating a uniformity due to the similar advances --> Ecological: Making sure of the consequences of the environmental impact, as we burn such entities as rain forests in order to accumulate wealth

There is a healthy debate as to whether the economic success of McWorld requires democratization. On the one hand, there doesn’t seem to be direct correlation between economic success and democracy; countries like China have tied tremendous economic growth in addition to some anti-democratic practices. Countries like Nigeria have instituted democracy without economic success (except in the case of oil). Yet authoritarianism, when mixed with economic growth, often leads to huge amounts of corruption. In China, the necessity of //guanxi//, or political connections, is a serious threat to free market growth. At the same time, China is a great example of McWorld as multinational corporations have thrived in China; KFC, in fact, the names of Starbucks, Madonna, Boeing are commonly known symbols to most Chinese yuppies. Again, it can be argued that corruption still exists in countries like Nigeria, which are also democratic. But Nigeria may not be the best example, because its political culture rests more on patron-client relations, a product of authoritarian military rule, than on pluralistic democratic political culture. So, the answer may well be that in countries with a democratic political culture, corruption can be reduced, and economic growth can flourish.

While globalization brings new jobs to new areas, it can also lead to a dominance by international business not rivaled by any government. Poor countries can become dependent on richer ones without the means to compete fairly. Some see it as eroding the sovereignty of many nations.

===Le Conflict Between Them: The conflict between the two arises from the fact that people are constantly looking to protect their culture, which many feel may be compromised by the western world and modernization, this fear of westernization is what often leads to fundamentalism/ fragmentation. Certain backlashes that can be seen from this is the french language polica and subsidised french media, middle eastern jihadist groups, and nigerian groups as started by saro-wiwa.===

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