The Change Mariner

Globalization Hits a Political Speed Bump

New York Times:

But the politics of globalization are subtly shifting, and the turnabout has helped to slow to a crawl the integration of the world's economies.

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From the orange groves of Brazil to the rice fields of Southeast Asia, meanwhile, poorer nations have become more insistent that the next round of agreements allow them to benefit equally from globalization. That argument is pushing the politically toxic, multibillion-dollar farm subsidies of Europe and the United States to the center of the debate. The disagreements have been aggravated by diplomatic conflicts over the war in Iraq and by measures taken to fight SARS and terrorism. And many government officials around the globe have become worried.