FTAA

[Jane Sweet]

Phil Wise wrote:
> 
> Jane, do you come from the U.S.?  I'm just curious.  It is difficult to know
> whether "globalisation" is or is not a myth because, I think you are right
> (from way back in the thread - what, yesterday??!) it hasn't been defined in
> context, i.e. when different people talk about it they may be talking at
> cross purposes, inprecicely, etc.  

We use the term here, the Mayor, not the current one, but
his predecessor, our first African American Mayor, more
famous for his phrase "the gorgeous mosaic" as opposed to
the "melting pot," used the term globalization to describe
what is happening to the USA, particularly in places like
NYC. I simply don't buy it Phil. 


But from the position of a Western
> Democracy outside the U.S., I can kinda see what globalisation might be,
> since our culture has increasingly been "Americanised", out economy appears
> tied magically to America's, &etc.  America may well be a predominantly
> domestic economy (still - what will it look like in 20 years after FTAA and
> its successors?), but it nonetheless affects significantly many economies
> around the world, and just as importantly, many cultures.

This is good in my opinion, cross-fertilization is wonderful
for people. Here in NYC we too have been "americanized" just
like your Nation. It's good for us.