The three articles focus on how the world has changed and expanded due to globalization and modernization. The articles voice a negative response as to how the overall quality of economic welfare and social development is gradually degrading. In What is Globalization? Ulrich Beck states the problem with transnational corporations being “virtual taxpayers.” Corporations find ways to pay less taxes, produce goods where costs are cheapest and use fiscal policies to their benefit. Mid-sized and smaller businesses are then faced with the responsibility of being “real taxpayers” and having to pay for everything.

“Rocket Machine” zeroes in on the lack of the originality and individuality within the e-commerce industry. Rocket Internet is essentially a German company that recycles business ideas of successful companies from one market, copies it and creates it in another market. While it has been criticized for being a “plagiarist,” the logic behind this company is that coming up with the idea is not what matters, but rather the implementation of it.

In All That is Solid Melts into Air: The Experience of Modernity, Berman explains that modernization is the flow of change and new ideas; it does not necessarily means improvement.  Modernization merely means expansion to accommodate the greater population in the world. It may seem like society is benefiting from change, but in actuality, only a handful of winners remain on top because those less fortunate support them.