GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Global Governance



Global Governance

Introduction

The world is undergoing a process of structural transformation in multiple dimensions: technological, economic, cultural, and institutional. This creates as many opportunities as it induces perils. Perhaps the most fundamental prob-lem we now face is the crisis of politi- cal institutions in charge of managing the transition(Stiglitz 2004). We know the problems, we understand the issues, and in many countries there is enough political will to tackle the questions to be addressed. However, the organizational and institu- tional tools of governance are either insufficient or inadequate. Furthermore, the crisis of governance is related to a crisis of political legitimacy, character- ized by increasing distance between citi- zens and their representatives(Beck 2003). Both crises feed into each other, threatening with political paralysis and opening the way both for authoritarian policies and for demagogic revolts. Social movements and grassroots organizations, as well as a variety of social actors, are trying to fill the current void of representation and legitimate policy making. A global civil society is in the making. However, its contribution to solving the problems of our world is limited because of the segmentation of the interests and values underlying its diverse components. Their connection to national and international institutions is complex and problematic. In other words, the transition from a reactive civil society to a proactive reform of in- stitutions of governance faces formidable obstacles. This lecture aims at identify- ing the factors underlying the political crisis of global governance, as well as at pinpointing the trends that foreshadow pathways for reconstructing democratic policy making under the new conditions of globalization, cultural transformation, and a technological paradigm shift(Calderon 2003).

Google in Chin and Global Governance

Google is betting its global business success on an open Internet. If you look at Google's latest China move through the lens of global Internet policy trends and not just through the lens of Chinese politics, or China's relationship with the West, it makes a lot more sense.  It makes sense from a business standpoint for Google not only to oppose censorship but to work actively against it, and do everything in their power to influence global policies, laws, and community practices that favor openness. In the past year they've gotten increasingly vocal about censorship - and not just in authoritarian countries like China. But the biggest problem with Google is not its intentions or the extent to which specific actions and policies align themselves with civil liberties lawyers, free expression groups and human rights activists(Scholte 2007). The biggest problem is how Google says they advocate a free and open Internet, positions themselves as global leaders of this cause, then says "trust us, we're good people, we're working in your interest." Then we're just supposed to trust them. When has that been a good idea in any other human governance situation and why exactly are we supposed to expect that to work for us in this case? Is Google really run by Vulcans and not humans or something? The Internet has enough diverse ...