Globalization

We live in an interesting city. Go to any shopping mall and you can find goods from all over the world. For example, American coffee from Starbucks, Sushi from  Japan, Australian wine from the nearby supermarket just to name a few. This is all possible because of globalisation.

We live in a city where things are so easily available. But is this convenience worth the dire consequences that come as a result of globalisation? Has globalisation been more of a boon or a bane in Singapore? I think not. In this essay, I shall discuss three of such; the economic, environmental, and social consequence. 

Firstly, there is the economic consequence. Globalisation has given us Singapore the ability to trade resources with other countries. Singapore thus imports various essentials such as rice from Thailand and various fruits and vegetables from China. This gives rise to a problem. The dependence on other countries for our bare necessities means that these countries have a certain leverage they can use against Singapore.

Some people may say that globalisation has given Singapore increased trade and revenue, thus making us richer and more prosperous. However, I beg to differ. With the increased trade and open doors to the world, Singapore has become much more vulnerable to economic disasters. The recent credit crisis showed that Singapore can be affected by events around the world even though we contributed little to these events. I thus believe that globalisation has been more harmful than helpful economically.

Secondly, there is the environmental consequence. Because of globalisation, more people are coming to work in Singapore. More land has to be used to build housing and other facilities to support the increasing population. This requires the clearing of forest space, resulting in the lost of natural flora and fauna in Singapore. In addition, an increasing population also means that there will be more traffic on the road and more electricity consumption. All this will increase carbon emission, resulting in a deteriorating environment.

Lastly, there is the social consequence. Globalisation has caused increased exposure to the negative influences of the outside world. For example, through the World Wide Web, television and other forms of media, we are exposed to racist remarks and pornography just to name a few. This exposure has had a negative effect on our youth in terms of their behaviour, dressing and attitudes. For example, in some western songs, explicit language is used. Upon repeated listening of these songs, youths learn to pick up the habit of using profanities in their speech.

Some individuals may say that with globalisation, it has become easier to migrate from one country to another. This has resulted in many expatriates settling in Singapore. They say that with more foreigners in our society, Singapore becomes more cosmopolitan and unique. I however beg to differ. The issue of foreign talent in Singapore has been debated upon many times. With many foreigners in Singapore, Singaporeans will have to compete with them for jobs. Foreigners, having different skills due to a different education system, will have an advantage over Singaporeans in finding a job. This leads to social problems related to unemployment among Singaporeans. Thus, I believe that globalisation has had a negative social impact.

In conclusion, I believe that globalisation is more of a bane due to the negative economic, environmental and social consequences it brings. However, as globalisation is inevitable, we should learn to minimise the negative consequences as much as we can whilst maximising the benefits that it brings.