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Basic capitalism is always very popular until the bubble bursts; once it does burst it is surprising how quickly many people start preaching protectionism. The majority of people in the UK have taken advantage of globalisation - and take advantage of it every time they purchase a product or service - yet large parts of the UK seem to hate the basic tenet of globalisation: interaction and migration. In the past few weeks the media have been whipping-up a frenzy of vitriol against immigrants ‘stealing’ British jobs. Naturally the BNP have been at the forefront, providing the bricks to throw at the government and the immigrants. The ‘British jobs for British’ workers catchphrase (Gordon Brown must regret that bit of empty jingoism) rings out from websites, placards and tabloid headlines as if the solution to unemployment is simple: chuck out the foreigners and all will be right again.
However, the truth of the matter is the UK is one of the driving forces behind globalisation, because ultimately we benefit from it. Globalisation is an attempt to open the entire world as one global market place without trade barriers or restrictions. The theory behind this is that a global marketplace allows healthy free market competition to produce goods and services as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Therefore (ignoring the debate about how the free market is not actually ‘free’ at all when highly industrial nations are able to enjoy trade barriers at home, whilst destroying them in developing nations) a company can move without restriction to any country in the world, driven only by free market values – i.e. they will locate themselves in the country that best suits the needs of their business. Subsequently, we have multinational corporations with factories spread all across the world; with countries working hard to up skill their own workforces in order for them to compete for jobs and industries in a global market. In the UK the government has repeatedly highlighted that an educated and skilled workforce is the best way for the UK to develop as an economy, that we should be competing for high-tech jobs as a highly educated nation. However, as a nation with such aspirations we are not competing in the global market for cheap labour, we leave that for countries like China or Vietnam. When we shop in Primark and buy a pair of jeans for £4, do we ever stop and ponder with amazement how a company can make a pair of jeans in China, transport them to a warehouse in the UK, distribute them to high street stores all over the country, pay staff to put them on shelves and serve you (not to mention all their other various overheads) and still make a substantial profit? Globalisation allows this to happen. The tabloid newspapers enjoyed a summer of whinging about high prices; yet in many ways things have never been so cheap. We live in a society where it is cheaper to replace a washing machine, DVD player, microwave and most white goods than it is to repair them – if the skills-set even exists to repair such goods. We are all encouraged to consume goods as quickly and irresponsibly as possible to try to re-inflate this bubble – but we can’t because the credit has dried up. Yet, consider all of the electronic products that are imported or sourced from within the EU, consider the amount of clothes labels that state ‘Made in China’ or ‘Made in Vietnam’ are those countries also stealing British jobs for British workers? Surely we should shut up our borders and open our own sweatshops where British workers can revel in the terrible conditions of a sweatshop factory; meeting strict targets each week for a pittance? Or does this latest outburst of misguided nationalism and xenophobia not mind foreign workers when they stay in their own countries producing our consumables? Surely we would be prepared to pay considerably more for a jumper if it was made in a regulated factory in Britain by British workers? Or perhaps considering how much the tabloid papers moan and bitch about the price of goods and how many people in the jobs market consider the minimum wage beneath them I doubt we would ever have the capacity or willingness to clothe ourselves in British products. Furthermore, where does this ‘British jobs, British workers’ argument end? Should BMW close down its Mini plant completely and return those German jobs back to German workers? Should the Japanese car makers do the same? Should all foreign investment in the UK end, and instead turn inwards to their populations? Should we finally throw out all foreign footballers, taking a ‘British position for a British footballer’? Perhaps we should boycott all of our foreign food imports, and boycott all electrical products not made in the UK. Burn our Playstations, X-boxes and Wiis? Or perhaps we should take a considered approach; one not based on prejudice, hate and ignorance and actually considers what globalisation is, and how we actually benefit from it. Perhaps we should consider the fact that in 2006 5.5 million British Citizens were living abroad and that ‘Two-thirds of Britons who leave do so to seek employment abroad - and are replaced by skilled professionals from elsewhere in the world.’ That as a nation where liberty and freedom, tolerance and justice is supposedly upheld by its population, the UK is actually a place people want to move to. That because of globalisation the UK is able to attract skilled workers (and non-skilled workers) to meet its employment needs, that the free market dictates the number of immigrants needed, not the government or neo-fascist organisations like the BNP (or newspapers who encourage xenophobia). Consider in many countries that globalisation has destroyed local trades and industries and that the free market has allowed a few multinational corporations to run riot in developing nations, plundering resources and enslaving populations. Consider that these people are now part of the global free market – whether they want to be a part of it or not – and that they can come to the UK seeking a better life. 5.5 million British citizens have left the UK for that very reason, whilst those of us that remain in Britain can reap the rewards of foreign labour virtually every time we buy something. The simplicity in so many Mail commentators (as an example) stating that unemployment would be solved by removing foreign workers is staggering - how do you know those 1.97million people (out of work in the UK) are actually employable, or suitable (or willing) to fulfil the positions vacated by chucking out any foreign workers? Chances are they would be under qualified for many of the positions, and many would (no matter how dubiously) consider themselves overqualified for many of the positions in the services sectors that are currently largely reliant on foreign labour. If you really want ‘British jobs for British workers’, then may I suggest we start by bringing the sweatshop back to Britain; all together now: ‘British sweatshops for British workers!’. |
