Right from the Middle: The end of Globalization

By William O. Lipinski

William O. Lipinski former Congressman

In recent years, Americans have seen the foundation of our economy shaken first by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken nearly one million American lives, and now the burdens imposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which have fueled dramatic increases in gasoline.

Both have fueled a new wave of inflation, and they have raised new issues of security and safety often tied to the growing influence that China has on the development and production of new technologies.

This poses a serious concern that Americans must address. Has Globalization weakened America and given our enemies and rivals a foundation to undermine our freedoms and our lives?

I believe that Globalization is reckless and has made our situation even more serious.

Foreign Factory workers. Photo courtesy of Glsun Mall on Unsplash

So there is no misunderstanding, this is how i view Globalization. Globalization is the process of integrating financial markets through international trade into a single world market. It is about the integration and assimilation of cultures, governments, healthcare and worse, the weakening of the power of the workforce, and organized labor in particular.

Because of the pandemic, nations have shut down domestically, sealed their borders, and drastically disrupted the delivery of supplies.

The pandemic has politicized travel, greatly increased the strong opposition to immigration that has always existed, and forced many nations to look hard and long at the need to become more self-reliant.

Nations have also become less trusting of other countries and thereby has driven many nations, and mankind itself, further apart.

This reckless and distractive globalization has permitted a totalitarian nation, China, with its dreams of world conquest, to become the world’s factory supplying consumers with much of their retail products

China produces and manufacturers half of the world’s steel, 86 percent of all radios, 70 percent of the world’s television sets 90 percent of the world’s computers. And that is just the start of the list.

Countless items that we use and need daily are manufactured and produced in China.

Obviously , this gives China an enormous opportunity to hold the world hostage and puts the world in a predicament if the world fails to support China economically and militarily.

While most if not all of the First World Nations have supported Ukraine in this war, China has supported Russia, because they are a dictatorial nation no different than Russia.

Now, China and Russia have a sweet heart deal driving up the price of gas and oil they buy from Russia and increasing their profits and economic influence.

It is not in the world’s best interest to have a nation like China be in such a powerful position over the rest of the world.

During the course of the pandemic, we have seen how they abuse their own citizens.

Unfortunately, because of globalization, some other nations have only weakly supported Ukraine, empowering Russia.

These are nations that have allowed themselves with shortsighted thinking to become dependent on Russian gas and oil, at the expense of their own independence and the freedom of their citizens.

If we want a strong, free and democratic world, nations must become more self-reliance and independent.

We cannot permit one nation, particularly a dictatorial nation like China that manufacture 60% of all the products needed and used in this world, to control our lives.

We also must develop other sources of gas and oil as an alternative for all of the European countries who are now buying from Russia. Nations should develop their own nuclear energy.

Our Land of Liberty, the United States of America, must increase our oil and gas production to its maximum to free nations from the totalitarian forces in the world that they now depend upon.

Our Fortress of Freedom and other free and democratic nations must increase the manufacturing of products the world needs. We cannot permit two or three or four dictatorial rogue nations to have so much control and influence in this world.

Perhaps, one day, real globalization that is productive and does not threaten the foundations of nations, will be possible.

But Russia’s unprovoked attack upon Ukraine has proven there is still too much evil in this world for globalization to work for all nations.

(William O. Lipinski served in Congress representing the 5th and 3rd Congressional District from 1982 until 2005. Email Bill at [email protected]. This column originally appeared in the Des Plaines Valley News newspaper group.)

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William Lipinski

William Oliver Lipinski is a former U.S. Representative from the State of Illinois. He served as the Democratic Committeeman from the Chicago 23rd Ward from 1975 and as Alderman of the Ward until he was elected to the Congress in 1982.

Lipinski writes the "Right from the Middle" Column twice each month.

Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill and graduated fromSt. Patrick High School, Chicago, Ill., 1956; attended Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, 1956-1957; United States Army Reserves, 1961-1967.

Lipinski was elected alderman, Chicago, Ill., city council, 1975-1982; He was a delegate to: the Democratic National Midterm Convention, 1974; Democratic National Convention, 1976 and 1984; Illinois state Democratic convention, 1977.

He was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-eighth and to the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3, 2005)

His email is [email protected]

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