At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, commonly known as the Davos Conference, where world leaders from the world's political and business world are held in Switzerland, the theme of this year is "dividing the world."
We asked Adam Tooes, an economic historian and professor at Columbia University, how to face the divide.
"Globalization lives on"
[Q. How do you perceive the current state of division and deglobalization of the world?
]
Globalization is a very efficient mechanism.
So deglobalization is clearly more costly and less efficient, making us poorer as a result.
The current situation, where national security policy and economic issues overlap, is very dangerous.
[Q. The world has been promoting globalization based on the lesson that protectionism caused World War II, but will it come to an end?
]
No.
Globalization develops in new forms and continues to live in changing forms.
Because it's hard to imagine a planet of eight billion people working any other way.
When modern globalization began in the early 1970s, the world's population was half what it is today.
There is no doubt that we are more interdependent and connected than ever before.
“We are entering an era of multipolarization.”
[Q. What is the key to treading the path of globalization again?
]
For example, Indonesia plays an important role among the G20 = 20 major countries.
Twenty or thirty years ago, it was unimaginable that Indonesia would become the underpinning of the world's political system in its current strained state.
In the future, if the development goes well, the major African countries will also come to occupy an important position.
A new story will begin, including countries that have never participated in globalization.
We are entering an era of multipolarization, not polarization.
[Q. On the other hand, the United States, which has driven globalization, is becoming more inward-looking.
how are you coping?
】
Since China's accession to the WTO in 2001, the domestic foundation of the globalization policy promoted by the United States has collapsed.
What characterizes America today is, so to speak, a disconnect.
The cause of this disconnect is, after all, the social upheaval and social damage caused by the wave of globalization since the 1980s, and America has lost its ability to act for domestic reasons.
``Japan needs to break away from the industrial model''
[Q. How should Japan, which is scarce in resources in a divided world, act?
】
The EU = European Union is also dependent on imports like Japan, and trade makes people's lives possible.
In terms of energy, what Japan, South Korea, and Germany have in common is that they import and consume large amounts of fossil fuels.
But climate action must move forward, and Japan needs to move away from the successful industrialization model of importing from Europe.
Unless we address these issues in concert with the rest of the world, we will not be able to achieve a sustainable future.