Globalizations and How it's Failing.

As the world shrinks, a great divide between assimilation and hatred is opening up. Something that troubles me is terrorism. Reading about all these attacks in Europe in section four and five in Chapter 10 of Sources of European History makes me uneasy-- and terrified! Obviously.

These writers discuss why the immigrating Muslims aren't integrating into society well. Laqeur says the unrest in British Muslims is due to the poorer state of their living conditions and low quality of life. These young Muslims have little employment opportunities and are surrounded by prejudice. Looking for acceptance, they join the underground movements that follow the foreign Imams who preach Anti-Western sentiments and eventually become as adamant as the radical religious leaders. They group up and spend more time on the streets than on studies and even form gangs like the German Turks. Laqeur says they engage in minor crimes and get away with them. This is simply the snowball affect in action.

Once the assimilation fails, the Jihad movement strengthens and terrorism swells. These outcasted Muslims are under the impression that the West has exploited their faith and thinks poorly of them; which is exactly what these extremist religious leaders feed the youth.

China is similarly undergoing this clash of cultures and beliefs right now, and in a rather violent manner. Their fighting over the DiaoYu islands with Japan has escalated towards an entire racism towards Japanese people and products all together. Japanese cars are being smashed, libel everywhere, marches of thousands of Chinese in all the major cities too. Where is all this hate coming from?

I feel as if it all comes down to a matter of nationalism and pride. Besides opening up the world to equality and opportunity, Globalization is also breading elitists. The ever present threat of terrorism in America today is instilling racist tendencies and attitudes, which goes against our Western "core values". So this vicious circle continues on. People are eager to explore the world and know whats out there beyond the domestic life, and find that the opportunity can't be more accessible. But once you step foot out of America, there's that prejudice and hatred discussed in the beginning of this chapter, particularly in Europe. Foreigners aren't welcome anymore despite economic dependence on tourism and our (so-called) lauded opinion of globalization. Americans will get funny looks wherever the world they go, as if we can be sniffed out.

But really, why are Americans so hated? It can't be because of our sudden development as a world super power, I refuse to believe jealousy can withstand hundreds of generations. Is it because Americans are content with staying in America, and aren't entirely curious about the mysterious abroad? Could be. "Ignorant Americans" and whatnot. Europeans can travel immensely without extreme prejudice. Why can't we anymore?

And I just realized that ties into this Islamic extremism again. (Hooray I actually got somewhere with this tangent.) Being frowned upon for throwing yourself out there into the world generates the resentment and anger called for in the Jihadist movement.