Lado Okhotnikov on globalization: what is it, fair business or unfair competition?

We often hear the term "globalization", which is used in both a positive and a negative context. What is this, and how does globalization apply to us?

We have once again come across a term with many shades. In fact, in the broadest sense, globalization is good.

State borders are, to a certain extent, atavism. The world has become small, in a few hours we can cross the ocean and be on the opposite side of the globe. And there, thousands of kilometers from home, we will see familiar signs on the streets, and familiar brands in the stores.

Globalization in terms of free cross-border contacts, trade, movement of people, technology and business is certainly good. How can one object to fair, open and borderless competition. This is a great opportunity for the rapid development of our entire civilization, not its individual parts - the "golden billion".

Unfortunately, this understanding of globalization looks somewhat utopian. In the face of social, economic and military inequalities, globalization means de facto monopoly and non-competitive access to emerging markets by corporations from the "golden billion" countries.

This results in corporations enjoying unlimited growth and becoming economically comparable to entire countries. Sooner or later, economic power is transformed into political influence, and it is no longer clear whether the government or the corporation is making the political decisions.

I have already said that I consider the state borders atavism, and the power in the state is an instrument to promote the interests of elites. I don’t like the subordination of business and the regulatory systems. However, I understand that in order to avoid unnecessary upheavals, it is necessary to follow the accepted laws and regulations, gradually moving towards decentralization. However, I don’t like living in an environment where corporations actually run the state.

The state is compelled to at least declare public interest, the corporation is not. 

In 1952, General Motors President Charles Wilson said the legendary phrase: "What’s good for General Motors is good for America." It’s a very eloquent statement about corporate-state relations. Mind you, corporate interests are the priority here, and the country must accept this state of affairs. 

Corporate globalization can be good, but only if one condition is met, namely free competition. It is somewhat strange to hear this in the capitalist world, but free competition is now sorely lacking. Today, corporations are always and everywhere privileged.

I would not want the term "corporation" to have a negative connotation. That would be unfair. Many large projects that require substantial funding simply cannot be implemented without corporations. More precisely, perhaps, but the alternative is extremely unattractive: they will be financed by the state at the expense of taxpayers.

The corporation is turning to the dark side when it converts finance into political influence and abuses competition. Is it possible to fight this? Of course, it is possible, but not by the corporation, but by the state. This requires a change in the system of governance, more precisely in the system of political decision-making. This is possible through the decentralization of State authority. A corporation or any other lobbyist should not have a political counterpart responsible for decision-making.

In the current socio-economic paradigm, corporate power is unshakeable, and that is sad. However, the development of blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies allows us to look to the future with optimism - it is the blockchain that can become a tool of decentralization.

Moving from general considerations to specifics, our Meta Force project is an example. We have deliberately opted for decentralization. This means that all agreements are reflected in smart contracts and the principle cannot be changed by anyone, including Meta Force management.

Contracts are controlled not by humans (users or a representative of Meta Force), but by blockchain algorithms, immutable and impartial.

Meta Force is a global company, with users from dozens of countries. However, we do not enjoy the benefits of scale and global reach. For example, decentralized exchanges work the same way. They do not need preferences or special treatment of the state.

This is a system-to-user format that can be scaled to the level of mega-corporations and even states.

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