Carolina Parra Blog Post #4

Carolina Parra

Blog Post #4

Soccer and McDonald’s

The process and growth of globalization is a widely disputed topic. Globalization takes on the process of integrating cultures and nations together through an assortment of essentials. These essentials are usually based on technology, environment and economy. We have seen globalization take off at a rapid pace, blending cultures like never before.

Although this revolution can seem beneficial, the growth of globalization is harmful to self-identity and nationalism. Maybe globalization is more favorable because to more dominant countries, where their culture is the one influencing others, but that shouldn’t take away from the serious impacts this revolution has on many other countries. I think as globalization grows, nationalism will fade away fully, even if we don’t want to fully see it.

In How Soccer Explains the World, Foer's proposal seems to be that throughout the world, people still cling to their relationship to their local football club no matter who is influencing them. However, I think this is completely false. In a world of globalization, for example, the original soccer team can threaten the identity of the new player, which results in that new member adapting to the ways of the whole team. Let’s say a Catholic player from Central America is imported to a Protestant team. The end result would be the Catholic player changing its form of identity, Catholicism, to conform to the team and, who knows, even lead the Protestants in anti-Catholic remarks. Additionally, even one of Foer’s statements included “Multinational capitalism strips local institutions of their localness, it homogenizes, destroys tradition, and deprives indigenous proletarians and peasant of the things they love the most,” proving that nationalism isn’t always stronger than the impact of globalization.

McDonald’s is another example to explain that statement made by Foer. McDonald’s is now a worldwide food chain, but, as it slowly takes over other countries, many of the cultural food places are being replaced. So many other foreign countries start seeing McDonald’s almost like a home, which only shows the lack of self-identity as these foreign countries see McDonald’s the same way Americans see it.

Altogether, it is senseless to believe that globalization wont knock out nationalism. Yes, maybe ones relationship to something may be strong, but who’s to say that some new global influence won’t change the mind of those natives for good? I think Foer shares insightful personal opinions through experience, but he fails to provide actual facts on the decline of nationalism because of the continued growth of globalization.

Aubri Paredes Blog Post #4

Aubri Paredes

Professor Mark Shirk

December 1, 2014

Throughout the years, there has been an increase in the interactions of different nations.  The countries that inhabit this earth are seamlessly coming together in a sense where they are better equipped to interact with each other. This change could be due to the progressions of the world as whole, new technological advances that allow the world to more easily communicate with each other, progressing realization that communications between nations make many aspects more feasible, etc.

While interconnectedness is steadily growing and an important aspect of globalization, nationalism seems to withstand this growing sentiment as it also prevails in today’s society. In the book, How Soccer Explains The World by Franklin Foer, Foer speaks about the relationship between globalization and nationalism, although these can be viewed as being contradictory. Foer mentions that “the roots of Barca’s cosmopolitan nationalism run too deep. They are a part of the national culture and part of the club’s founding spirit. In 1899, a Swiss Protestant businessman called Joan Gamper joined with English expats to launch FC Barcelona. It is stunning that a foreigner created what would become a defining institution of Catalan nationalism.” This excerpt successfully mentions how, although very different, nationalism and globalization are relatable.

Continuing on the above statement, the Swiss businessman prosperously manages to use such a strong sentiment as nationalism when he established FC Barcelona. On the other hand, this is a prime example of globalization because Joan Gamper was a foreigner who was able to construct a significant entity, which relies heavily on nationalism.  He managed to have this entity prosper the way FC Barcelona has throughout the years.

In the book when elaborating on globalization Foer mentions that, “Barcelona became a great trading city deeply entangled in the global economy, growing into an industrial giant.” This goes to show the positive influences that globalization can have on a nation. It can allow a nation to competently progress and be able to establish trade, etc. which in the long run helps build a countries economy.

All in all, although nationalism and globalization differ in definition, these two concepts were successfully related and described by Joan Gamper in How Soccer Explains The World. Foer also illustrates how globalization can have a huge impact on a nation in the long run.

How Soccer Explains the World and Twitter Caused the Arab Spring

Reading “How Soccer Explains the World” is like reading a long, dull version of the History Channel’s “Ancient Aliens”.  For those unfamiliar with the show it involves a man of questionable authority (and equally questionable hair style) making specious claims about the links between human history and aliens.  At first How Soccer Explains the World appears much less ambitious version of ancient aliens in everything but length.  It provides some interesting anecdotes and history lessons while dropping in a little tidbit about soccer; as when the Serbs sang modified soccer songs during their atrocities.  At first it looks as though the reader will be left to draw his own connections.  Is soccer simply a convenient subject that allows the author to make globalization relatable or is it something more?  Did aliens really make the pyramids?  Finally, part way through the first chapter, Foer can no longer resist.  After following the sad arc of Serb gangster Arkan’s life Foer relates his death.  He is shot down in a hotel café for reasons which remain a mystery.  There are “many theories” for why this gangster turned nationalist leader was assassinated but Foer contends that, rather than revenge for war crimes or a mob hit, it was really soccer all about soccer (p. 28).  Aliens did in fact build the pyramids.

Foer’s book uses the same curious logic that we saw in 2011 with the “Twitter Revolutions” or as some call it the “Arab Spring”.  Pundits and even some academics applauded twitter for allowing this incredible call for liberal democracy in a region that had long ago been written off.   Their proof?  Well that’s easy, the demonstrators were using twitter to organize.  All you need to do now is bring in some “experts” to talk about how this wondrous new technology has allowed the Arabs to communicate in ways they never thought possible and you’ve got an air tight case.  Look hard enough and you might even find a few soccer fans in the protests. 

There is nothing wrong with using a subject like soccer to explore and personalize the world but twitter didn’t cause the Arab Spring and the Soccer War wasn’t really about soccer.  Unfortunately the authors of such stories tend to get carried away with themselves and end up stretching the truth to fit their narrative.  Ultimately these gimmicks end up confusing the point more than they inform.  Perhaps it’s best to treat complex issues as just that, complex.  

Ellington Blog Post #4

Victoria Ellington

Blog Post #4

12/01/14

Unity Through Competition

I had never really thought about the concept of soccer specifically explaining the world, but I have often been told that sports apply to every aspect of life; teamwork, perseverance, hardship, etc.  However, I had never really thought about how sports apply to the broad picture.  Soccer is the perfect example because it is the most popular international sport and brings the whole world together, yet simultaneously divides us.  This exemplifies international relations perfectly.  Soccer in many ways proves that globalization may be good in theory and the world may even be routinely becoming more “globalized” but, human instincts will always prevail and divisions and loyalties will remain.  However, the global soccer landscape has become an industry and more and more profit driven as opposed to goal driven (no pun intended).  This idea relates back to international relations because states have gotten more and more economically driven as technology has advanced and trade has become more fluid and efficient.    Barcelona, as explained by Foer, is the exception to this trend.  They refrain from having sponsors displayed on their jerseys and being money driven.  Just as a nation would punish a citizen for committing treason, “when the highest paid players in the world demonstrate insufficient enthusiasm for the cause, Barca and its fans turn on them” (Foer 196).  Barca’s sense of pride and protection of their name, as well as drive to be the very best, is akin to the nationalism felt by any nation, especially when their name or unity is threatened.

While Foer’s version of how soccer explains things on a global scale is incredibly rational, it raises a different series of questions when the United States alone is studied.  Football is a uniquely American sport, and the sport itself provides the country with an overwhelming sense of pride and passion, yet each Sunday we are a nation divided.  In the same way that soccer divides the world, but also brings it together, football puts Americans at odds with one another, yet each competition begins with the national anthem, celebrating our great nation.  Most importantly, both soccer (on a global scale) and football (on a national scale), prove the effectiveness of competition in order to bring about a sense of pride for ones team or state, but ultimately to unite all the players and teams across the world or the country. 

How Soccer Explains the World (Blog Post 4 Bryan Pfeffer)

How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer does a great job of explaining an interesting phenomenon; why nationalism remains strong while the world is globalizing. Logic would suggest that in a world where we could get anywhere in the world by plane, have goods made in any country that can manufacture them, and tune in/learn about any state by typing their name into Google.com, the sense of nationalism would dissolve. Have a friend in Venice? Not a problem, you can Facetime them, and they might as well be sitting in the room with you.

However, wherever you go, you see people representing their country, via their outfit, their decorations, or anything of that sort. The fact is, despite the spread of information flow and accessibility to other states, nationalism stands strong.

Foer displays this perfectly in the passion that he and other fans share for his favorite club, FC Barcelona. Soccer, as described in the book, is a much more globalizing game, much like the international systems, as players often play in countries that are not their home. Today, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo plays in Spain, as well as Argentina’s Lionel Messi, while Italy’s Mario Balotelli and the Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba spend their matches on the pitches of England. This would make it easy for fans to spread their interests internationally, routing for their hometown heroes wherever they may play. This is not the case.

The people of Barcelona are heavily invested in the success of their team. As Foer states, the season ticket holders of the club, or rather “mas que un club,” still vote for team administration that host debates held on television. This shows how important the hometown team is to its fans. A Barca win is even compared to the ancient Athenian victory over Sparta by Manuel Vazquez Montalban, Barcelona native. It shows how seriously the region takes their football.

The international system and its puzzling globalization/nationalism dilemma can be viewed in the same light. While I can sit on my laptop and look at pictures of beautiful Italian structures until I’m blue in the face, the fact is I am a part of America. I vote in American politics, so I have a say in everything that happens via democracy. This feeling of being able to make a difference, just like that of the Barcelona people, makes my sense of pride and nationalism skyrocket.

Just like when Neymar, Jr. rockets in a goal past a rival goaltender and the Barca faithful erupt in joy, Americans root for their country to reach triumph and celebrate those triumphs with sheer joy. When we learn about wars in high school, we spend months discussing wars we have gloriously triumphed (World Wars, civil war, revolutionary war) and significantly less about our failures. Barcelona fans will listen to someone bring up their stinging defeats in the 2006-07 season, and strike back with their four (!) champions league titles.

Nationalism may not seem like it makes sense in a globalized system, but just like the faithful fans of FC Barcelona, no matter how globalized a world or system becomes, nationalism is strong for your home club, or home state.

Victoria Ellington Blog Post 3

Victoria Ellington

Blog Post 3

Nuclear Weapons: Worth the price?

This L.A. Times Article explores the issue of the cost of nuclear weapons.  It raises the question of whether the money the U.S. is putting into the nuclear weapons program is legitimately worth it or not.  I believe that this is a sensitive issue and it is difficult to determine what the correct way to handle nuclear weapons is, but ultimately I think that the expenses are justified.  Global disarmament is a utopian concept and completely unrealistic, therefore nuclear weapons must be maintained.  A nuclear war has never occurred and in order for the U.S. to successfully participate, they must have completely up to date weapons.  On the other side of the argument though, up to this point it only seems nuclear weapons exist for the point of negotiations.  Much of a nation’s power depends on the perception of their attack capabilities.  For example, we, as in the U.S. fear any nation we suspect has nuclear weapons and therefore their power over us is increased and our security threatened.  The only way to combat this is to “fight fire with fire” and make them fear us by developing weapons that are equally as destructive.  The issue lies within the fact that there are other more urgent and realistic military threats which need to be funded at the same time.  In a convoluted way, maintaining nuclear weapons may actually be a means of keeping the peace because it ensures that if nuclear war were to begin, the destruction would be mutual and therefore it is not even worth engaging in such a conflict.  Game Theory is what instills fear in each nation and the unpredictability of what other states might do compels the U.S. to continue spending money on nuclear weapons.  Instead, more focus should be placed upon developing and maintaining weapons in a more efficient manner and handling outdated weapons so that they do not increase unnecessary costs.   

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nukes-cost-20141109-story.html#page=1