Joseph Stiglitz Speaks On Making Globalization Work
By: Stephen Condren
On Monday, September 28, 2006 Joseph Stiglitz spoke the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on Making Globalization Work. He address the audience at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Several hundred people attended, this included many High School and College students.
Mr. Stiglitz spoke with grace and polish on a most difficult subject: Globalization. This topic is too broad to tackle in any setting but Mr. Stiglitz did a commendable job with an audience that he did not know at all. He spoke on how Globalization has in many respects backfired and caused much ruin in poor countries. The interests of global corporations have had a tremendous effect on world economies. For example, in the area of Pharmaceuticals Mr. Stiglitz touched on how they had sought out their own interests to the demise of many people that needed generic drugs. Generic drugs stood in the way of higher profits and the drug companies wanted to expand not diminish their profits.
The two countries that have done well with globalization are China and India. They have followed plans of sound economic expanse that has not been at the expense of those on the lower end of the economic ladder.
Later after the speech Mr. Stiglitz joined members of the President’s Circle for dinner where he answered other questions to those in attendance.
I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago in Hyde Park Township, near the University of Chicago. As I child I was always drawing and painting. My father owned an art supply company, Favor Ruhl & Watson, where I was able to get all that I needed to progress in my work.
I have always enjoyed portraiture and landscape painting. In High School (Naperville Central High School) I took Drafting from Mr. Pierce. I quickly grasped the principles of perspective and drafting and hence made a career with both Fine Art and Architectural Renderings.
In the mid 1970’s I joined the US Navy and was stationed on board the USS Midway, CV-41. The Midway was home ported in Yokosuka, Japan (A suburb of Tokyo). While in service I traveled all over Asia including such countries as Korea, China, Philippines, Singapore, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Japan. While in Japan I learned Japanese. I speak German and Spanish as well.