Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Demise of the Nation State

In the article, "The End of the Nation State," Kenichi Ohmae claims that the "old world has fallen apart," (Ohmae 223). He explains that in todays world, there are no borders. This means that the world is no longer divided up by different nations economically and that they are now meaningless. Ohmae says that it is now a truly global capital market, so there isn't any way for nation states to control their currency value or exchange rates. He relates examples to businesses who can no longer be placed with one country. Even if a company is based in America, for example, the parts and products the company sells are most likely produced somewhere else. He also goes on to say that there are some companies trying to get their point of nationalism across by using flags on products, meant to trigger nationalism. This is difficult to achieve, however, since it is now possible to buy products so much cheaper from other countries. The most relatable example Ohmae uses is one about teenage consumers and the fast-pace with which they are now able to communicate with one another. This is played to the advantage of companies trying to sell off their products with the spreading globalization of fashion products, since teenagers are much more likely to find new trends online and also purchase clothing there as well. Ohmae finishes up his article with the history of the nation state demise, proving that the world is growing a deeper connection after all.

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