& you're the one for me ;

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

26 Dec 2006 - Taiwan earthquake disrupts Internet services around the world.
30 Dec 2006 - Execution of Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq.
31 Dec 2006 - Bomb attacks over 9 areas in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 3.

These events have something in common: they are all relevant to globalisation. It may seem abstract to you, but let me explain why.

Firstly, the Taiwan quake had exposed a vulnerability in the form of increasing reliance on technology. Undersea cables, which are the carriers of "packets" transmitted from one place to another, are like highways connecting one major road to another. The quake damaged many of these cables at one time, resulting in congestion in Internet traffic which might need two to three weeks to be completely resolved. Unfortunately, there isn't any alternative to these cables (for now) in connecting one country with the rest of the world. The quake might be a once-in-100 year event, but the aftereffects brought about by it to the community cannot be underestimated.

Secondly, the manner in which the execution of Saddam Hussein was carried out had once again placed the spotlight on the issue of capital punishment. The prosecutors' case which led to Saddam's hanging remained debatable, especially among human rights groups. One point to note is that even allies of the United States, like Australia and Britain, came out to speak against and denounce the execution. Though some countries still enforce the death penalty (eg. Singapore), the rest of the world will almost certainly bear less tolerance towards applying this form of punishment as the pace of globalisation swiftens and societies develop towards moderation.

Finally, the bomb attacks in Thailand was yet another show of terrorism, which came about as soon as globalisation began. Preventive measures like increased security have apparently not worked to a large extent, as globalisation allows terrorist cells from various countries to co-ordinate more easily and quickly. They have also become more sophisticated, no thanks to technology, that it has become increasingly difficult to monitor and destroy these cells. You'd ask whether if there is any real solution in combating terrorism. Sadly, the measures taken in combating terrorism have been unsuccessful to a large extent. Governments should therefore no longer keep to themselves. They must work together and devise an even more comprehensive web of intelligence-sharing than present in order to prevent might-be terrorists from continuing to take advantage of the increased globalisation to co-ordinate and execute further attacks.

those memories. 13:31