Is it the Era of New Imperialism or Not?

Globalization involves liberalization of national and global markets through "widening and deepening of the international flows of trade, capital, technology, and information, within a single integrated market" as argued by James Petras and Henry Veltmeyer. Moreover, according to them, globalization does not represent anything but "imperialism in a new dress". In their book Globalization Unmasked: Imparialism in the 21st Century, Petras and Veltmeyer try to indicate that the existing world economics are in a process of creating optimal conditions for "the free play of greed, class interest and profit making" leading to a worldwide terror. One supporter of their understanding of globalization is Toni Solo with whom I completely disagree by criticizing his blog. He argues that globalization requires terror because imperialistic nation such as the Unied States can sustain its leading position only through the means of political chicanery and terror.

Claiming that globalization is imperialistic is like claiming that "liberating slaves imposes a particular lifestyle on the former slaves"*1 . Globalization's most significant purpose is to free trade. Barriers are abolished and restraint on trade is removed, both the opposite of any kind of imposed imperialism. Amartya Sen whose point of view is presented in a blog sees that globalization's accomplishments are very significant. Moreover, free trade fosters prosperity which prevents the tendency of war.


*1 http://www.hoover.org/pubaffairs/dailyreport/archive/2855136.html