Richard Holbrooke once said, “As countries grapple with modernization, people who are left behind tend to hold firmer and firmer to their view of the evil of modernity.” Although this quote doesn’t fully pertain to every concept the readings have to offer, I think it does a great job describing the main idea each author sought to get across. In “What is Globalization,” Ulrich Beck argues how the newly emerging transnational corporations in our economy have detrimental effects on everyone. These corporations export jobs to parts of the world where labor costs are extremely low and workplace conditions are not a priority. Furthering this idea of global companies having negative effects, the article “Rocket Machine: How To Build Companies From a Kit” demonstrates how American start-ups are taking the initiative to expand abroad and are essentially taking opportunities away from Rocket Internet. Lastly, in the introduction to “All That Is Solid Melts Into Air,” Marshall Berman discusses several views of modernism and mentions how some people assert that modernity has its downfalls. For example, one perspective of modernity, known as the “One-Dimensional Man” paradigm, claims that the masses have no egos and their souls are devoid of dynamism.

The article “What is Globalization” caught my attention the most because it offered insight relevant to today’s society and portrayed how transnational companies seek to find countries where worker’s wages and workplace conditions are at the bottom of the companies “To-Do List.” I don’t blame these companies for taking advantage of fortuitous opportunities to increase their profits. After all, these corporations were built to make money, not lose it, and if they are doing things legally I don’t have an objection. Maybe policy makers should rethink the current laws in place, since the responsibility ultimately falls to them if actions are not satisfactory. I do have a problem with corporations, however, if they enforce the exploitation of indigenous people of developing countries for their “cheap” labor. There is a fine line between ethical and unethical practices in the business world, and once the line is crossed to the unethical side, something must be done to prohibit the existing practices.