X Oh Have an idea for a story? M opinions@theotherpress.ca Globalization should not be a race to the bottom > It’s time for multinational corporations to rethink globalization’s purpose Naomi Ambrose Staff Writer ¢¢r here is no economic law requiring globalization to be a race to the bottom,” wrote Executive Director of Oxfam International Winnie Byanyima for the 2019 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. However, it’s no surprise that some of the top beneficiaries of globalization may not agree with her. These top beneficiaries include the dozens of multinational companies with divisions and subsidiaries in different countries. These establishments don’t seem to know that globalization isn’t only about maximizing their bottom line. I think globalization can also be used for the production of a company’s goods and services in other countries in a way that benefits all parties. As part of this obsession with increasing their profit margins, multinational corporations appear to focus on reducing labour and production costs by outsourcing many aspects of their business. I'm sure you've had an experience when you've called a company’s customer care department—only to discover that it’s in another country. You would hope that most of these establishments that outsource their business believe in the importance of providing jobs to people in impoverished Photo of Winnie Byanyima by Cancilleria del Ecuador via Flickr countries. Unfortunately, these businesses are probably only interested in racing towards the acceleration of their bottom line—that is, increasing their profits and rey ey teh Ces eae eee ed ¢ Globalization should not be a race to the bottom e F.R.ILE.N.D.S. $.U.C.K.S. ¢ Forced diversity is counterproductive ..and more! reducing their production and labour costs as much as possible. Asa result of these companies’ desires to race to the bottom line, many employees work in subpar conditions. Recall the news stories about employees who work long, intense hours for low wages in factories and warehouses. One such story was about the 2013 garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, where over 1,100 workers lost their lives. The collapse was said to be attributed to unsafe building conditions. According to the CBC, the factory had been producing clothing from many designers— including Joe Fresh of Loblaw. Perhaps it’s time for multinational conglomerates who participate in the maximizing-the-bottom-line race to start a new competition. We need to look at the list of establishments with appalling work surroundings and challenge companies to race to the end of that list. It will be interesting to see if companies will continue to expose their employees to unsanitary labour conditions if they know that this will lose them the contest of public opinion. Instead of a race to the bottom, we need a race to create better working conditions for labourers around the world—that’s what globalization can and should be about. 6c As aresult of these companies’ desires to race to the bottom line, many employees work in subpar conditions. Cosmetic surgery should not be normalized >» We shouldn't use it a solution for body and self-esteem issues Jessica Berget Opinions Editor O: the years, I have noticed cosmetic and aesthetic enhancements becoming increasingly popular among people of all genders. While I respect anyone’s right and choice to do whatever they want with their bodies and how they present themselves, it concerns me that cosmetic surgeries and procedures are becoming so normalized in our culture. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there were about 13.6 million cosmetic procedures done in the US in 2016, both surgical and non-surgical. Surgical procedures include operations like liposuction and nose jobs, while non-surgical procedures include things like Botox and laser hair removal. Compared to 2015, that is an increase of almost 850,000 procedures, and the trend over the past two decades suggests that the numbers are only going to keep rising every year. Although there are no Canadian statistics, in an article by Global News, two Canadian plastic surgeons have said that what is happening in the US is “pretty comparable to what Canada’s been seeing.” So, it’s safe to say the patterns are about the same on this side of the border. My problem isn’t necessarily with cosmetic surgery or the people who do it; it’s that our society produces this self- dissatisfaction and uses surgery as an out to this problem, which is not a realistic or healthy resolution. It’s difficult to see it this way because our culture is so obsessed with looking young and beautiful, but getting lip fillers, Botox, liposuction, or breast augmentations wont solve your problems or body issues. Gender affirmation surgery and other medically necessary procedures are a different story, but we're talking about purely cosmetic surgery here. Cosmetic and aesthetic surgeries are often short- term solutions to long-term, deeply rooted body and self-esteem issues. In my opinion, not feeling attractive or being happy with your body is a matter of perspective. Of course, mental health does play a prominent role in a lot of these cases—but getting surgery to fix something you don’t like about yourself does not solve the problem at hand, it just prolongs it. Getting to the core of the problem and resolving it through self-help or counselling I think is a healthier, long-term solution. There is also a concern about how young people are when they undergo these procedures, and how the procedures will affect them when they’re older. I don't think it’s a good idea to make any major changes to your body, especially when aT". youre young, because it’s the only one you've got. It’s important to consider the dangers of doing these procedures when youre young and the effects they can have on your body as you grow older. Infections, blood clots, scarring, and fluid build-up are all potential long-term complications that can arise from these operations. I respect if people have these surgeries to get rid of a physical dysfunction, breast reductions, or even a nose job, but this should never be used as a crutch for body image issues. Before you decide to have any procedures done, ask yourself if you really need them, or if there are any better ways to solve your body and self-esteem problems.