[size=9]For full text of Chronicle see http://www.wednesday-night.com/Wed1206.aspInvitation[/color] As has been so evident throughout the last few weeks, globalized communications are a fact. With virtually instant communication between all parts of the world, come positive and negative effects, one of the most important being the perceived need for leaders (or anyone with any pretensions to such a role) to comment or react to any event without pause for reflection. Too often, with the saturation coverage of any event, the public quickly loses interest or becomes jaded, and often the necessary follow-through is lost. This Wednesday we look at the broader aspects of globalization in the company of Dr. Omar Aktouf of HEC, a prolific author and vocal opponent of globalization http://www.hec.ca/en/profs/omar.aktouf.html]http://www.nfb.ca/webextension/thetake/[/url] a recently-aired documentary on Argentinean workers' creation of cooperatives to run factories idled by the monetary crisis provoked by IMF policies). Dr. Kimon Valaskakis, founder of the Club of Athens - Global Governance Group http://www.globalgovgroup.com/ matter is accompanied by either the release or absorption of energy.[/list] - The sun, still the ultimate source of potential energy, though of finite lifespan, is not a source of concern. - The transformation of fossil fuel into kinetic energy (transportation of goods and humans) as well as the manufacture of goods and consumption, heating and cooling) is responsible for the consumption (really transformation) of 200,000 to 400,000 calories per North American per day. The greenhouse gases produced reduce our access to the sun’s radiant energy. Do we need to implement the Kyoto Protocol? Of course we do. Will it help? Probably very little. At best, it gives us a breathing space of ten years or less and with the non-participation of countries such as the U.S., the acquisition of credits and non-compliance, most likely, much less. Many solutions have been recommended, but a single global solution to a problem as complex as this is unrealistic. Hypotheses must be proposed, tested and if valid, built upon, before time runs out. Globalization People around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more quickly than ever. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are increasingly available in all parts of the world. International travel is more frequent. International communication is commonplace. This phenomenon has been titled 'globalization'. "The Era of Globalization" is fast becoming the preferred term for describing the current times. While some people think of globalization as primarily a synonym for global business, it is much more than that. The same forces that allow businesses to operate as if national borders did not exist also allow social activists, labor organizers, journalists, academics, and many others to work on a global stage The North American business model sees the exportation of North American values to the rest of the world. If this initiative should continue to be successful, it could ultimately spell the end of our civilization. The energy stored in natural resources would quite rapidly be dissipated (transformed, if you will). This has begun to happen in China causing scarcity of resource material. Others argue that information technology conserves energy; that focus must be on education of people in developing countries; and/or that much of the problem stems from supranational companies that can operate in any jurisdiction. Dr. Aktouf argues that the world economy should satisfy the needs of all. If we agree on that, then we must admit that today's global economy is a total failure. We need only look at some multinationals and the theories of management that they espouse. Management that looks only at profits is counter-productive, and infinite wealth accumulation is simply irresponsible. He takes issue with thinking that the opening of new markets and borders will in no way penalize the producers of the third world, who are suddenly faced with competition from the industrial and transnational agro-industrial giants who can at a moment's notice dump products or produce and kill local markets. In general, most, if not all, subscribe to the views expressed by author and New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman: [quote=bribery"; thence to "smoothing bureaucracy" and this informative paragraph from the Wikipedia site: A grey area may exist when payments to smooth transactions are made. United States law is particularly strict in limiting the ability of businesses to pay for the awarding of contracts by foreign governments; however, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act contains an exception for "grease payments"; very basically, this allows payments to officials in order to obtain the performance of ministerial acts which they are legally required to do, but may delay in the absence of such payment. In some countries, this practice is the norm, often resulting from a developing nation not having the tax structure to pay civil servants an adequate salary. Nevertheless, most economists regard bribery as a bad thing because it encourages rent seeking behaviour. A state where bribery has become a way of life is a kleptocracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribe