putni galvā

globalization
24.9.09 21:24
"What an extraordiary episode in the economic progress of man that age was which came to an end in August 1914!... The inhabitant of Londol could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth in such quantity as he might see fit, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep; he could at the same moment and by the same means adventure his wealth in the natural resources an new enterprises of any quarter of the world, and share, without exertion or even trouble, in their prospective fruits and advantages; or he could decide to couple the security of his fortunes whith the good faith of the townspeople of any substantial municipality in any continent that fancy or information might recommend. He could secure forthwith, if he wished it, cheap and comfortable means of transit to any country or climate without pasport or other formality, could despatch his servant to the neighbouring office of a bank for such supply of the precious metals as might seem convenient, and could then proceed abroad to foreign quarters, without knowledge of their religion, language, or customs, bearing coined wealth upon his person, and would consider himself greatly aggrieved and much surprised at the least interferience. But, most important of all, he regarded this state of affairs as normal, certain, and permanent, except in direction of further improvement, and any deviation from it as aberrant, scandalous and avoidable. The projects and politics of militarism and imperalism, of racial and cultural rivalries, of monopolies, restrictions, and exclusion, which were to play the serpent to this paradise, were little more than the amusements of his daily newspaper, and appeared to exercise almost no influence at all on the ordinary course of social and economic life, the internationalisation of which was nearly complete in practice" J. M.Keynes "The Economic Consequences of Peace" (1919).
N.B. vēl lasāms.
Tags: books