Globilization and Change - Stephanie Reynolds

After reading Chapter 13, I really believe that technology has really become another form of exploitation replacing colonialism. While the Western world advanced in technology, many places in the East did develop as quickly and are suffering for it too. In the opening portion of the chapter, many poorly developed places were mentioned, such as rural Asia and the poor families living in rural South America. These under developed places do not gave much technology, while results in the horrible living conditions for the people. The wealthier families, who lived along the coast of South America, had more access to technology and; therefore, did not suffer as poorer families did. Although the innovations concerned with technology were intended to improve society or make peoples’ lives easier, they really caused a wide gap to form between the wealthy and the poor. With many nations beginning to explore the new world and settling distant lands as colonies, came new technology and ways of life as well. For example, the Spanish conquistadors brought unprecedented military technology to Mexico, and they used this technology to destroy the Aztec civilization.

Some similarities exist between colonialism and the global market economy seen today. For one, both structures started out pretty much the same way with older nations exploring a new land and settling it. The Spanish and English both settled several colonies within North America, which could be considered the very beginning of a global market economy. As a colony grew and spread out, the colonists met new people also, such as the Native Americans, who could establish a sort of trading/market system. Fast forward a few hundred years, and there are no longer colonies, but many towns and cities built up in North America. All of these settled places have expanded their trade/market system remarkably. Pretty soon ships will cross the oceans with goods from these cities and towns and a global market economy between long distance nations form as well.

A difference between colonialism and a global market economy though includes the intention of each structure. I think that nations which want to establish a colony do so for their own benefit, but at the expense of the natives. These colonists take land and valuable resources away from the natives in order for the colonists to settle in the new places, which causes the natives to suffer. A global market economy tends to benefit many nations and peoples at once. Each nation can produce its own special products and trade with another nation who needs that product, and usually for a profit. In return, the second nation gets what it needs, but also gives money or its own specialized product to the first nation.