Debate | What Do We Need More Of—Nationalism or Globalism?
Which is better, globalism or nationalism? Which does the world need more of right now?
Everything else being equal, globalism is better—globalism coupled with policies within each country that deal with its negative effects on national economies. Globalism has two effects: It increases wealth and makes it more unequal. Nationalism looks better to a lot of people because it doesn’t cause the problems of income inequality that globalism does, but globalism with appropriate policies to deal with its tendency to exacerbate inequality would be better overall. It’s also better from a moral standpoint. If you’re going to fix the worst kinds of disease and poverty worldwide, you need the growth that comes with globalism.
What accounts for the rise of nationalist voices worldwide?
It’s a backlash against the economic inequality produced by globalization. This is the...