Myths about globalization (1): It's is an inexorable force that we can’t control.

The truth is we can control globalization. Just ask Kim Jong Il or Fidel Castro. In these socialist utopias, time stands still. But if you are a Filipino who is used to the irrational exuberance of democracy, you would find these countries boring. There are no Starbucks there. No Jollibee. You can’t bitch around there unless you wish a date with the prison guards. No Internet porn. But yes, if you want to join the rest of the more exciting world, then globalization is for you. Even China, a communist country, has realized that the best way to achieve prosperity is to unleash the force of capitalism. Well, the Chinese are just being true to the tenets of Marxism—that capitalism, global capitalism for that matter, could be a potent historical force that could revolutionize the “forces of production.” But hey, Cuba may yet follow China’s way. Don’t you know that Cuban negotiators were active participants during the last WTO ministerial conference in Hongkong? Oh that would mean King Jong Il will be left alone holding the torch for socialism. But he will be comforted by the fact that in the Philippines, many people still share his dream of a socialist or communist future. Filipino communists, however, are ashamed to call themselves communist and would rather go to the Netherlands, or the United States for a comfortable “exile” than North Korea or Cuba. (Happy Valentines Day to all!).