You hear the word Jihad and a closed-in custom comes to mind; you hear McWorld - commercial convergence. The two are ends of the world apart, exact opposites, yet Benjamin Barber sees what both can do - deter democracy. He shows this in his book "Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Reshaping the World."

What the Author Is Trying to Accomplish

From the beginning all throughout the book, Benjamin Barber developed a negative outlook that proved that both [tribal] "traditional cultures" (represented by Jihad) and "global corporations" (represented by McWorld) fails to pursue democracy as its ideal ("Jihad vs. McWorld" - Wikipedia entry, 2006, para.2). To present this argument, Barber pointed the result of the struggle between the two opposing sides.

With the view to bring a more globalized consumerism, the "McWorld" free markets expand and come across the resident "Jihad" "tribes" that are then put in a defensive stance against the seemingly conquering McWorld that requires conformity to its new ways. In addition, the regional groups feel dispossessed of their "Jihad" free-economy as well as a free religious-cultural ideology ("Jihad vs. McWorld" -Wikipedia entry, 2006, para.1). It turns out that the book was working along a trail that brings to mind how both forces aim for a certain claim for democracy - yet because of their encounter, both are also compelled to perform ways to go against the other's freedom in order to pursue, if not, to protect their own.

In his book, Barber follows this shortcoming of both sides with "[their] attractions [which] are [however] unrelated to democracy." "Neither... is remotely democratic in impulse. Neither needs democracy; neither [actually] promotes democracy" (Barber, 1992, para.26). In the end, Barber's book proposes that as a better alternative towards democracy, it would be more effective to patron low-playing institutions that are on a small-scale (nationalized or local, instead of international) setting and which are truly pro-democracy ("Jihad vs. McWorld" - Wikipedia entry, 2006, para.2).

The Author's Key Findings

Barber (1992, para.1-2) foresees a future catastrophe inclosing the entire world as nations or regions clash and then collapse (taking sides, in the name either of Jihad or McWorld). He already observes its beginnings in a few unsightly historical illustrations like the Soviet Union's sudden dissolution, Yugoslavia's break down trying to integrate with the New Europe, and India's struggle with the controlling (assassinating, even) inside-segments as the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Also, recently, and most significant, is the 9-11 world-reaching calamity's warning of the impending damage that the "Jihad vs. McWorld" clash could ensue. Barber warns:

This is only a start, and without the explicit support of a more multilateralist and civic-minded American government, such institutions are unlikely to change the shape of global relations. Nonetheless, in closing the door on the era of sovereign independence and American security, anarchic terrorism has opened a window for those who believe that social injustice, unregulated wild capitalism, and an aggressive secularism that leaves no space for religion and civil society - not only create conditions on which terrorism feeds, but invite violence in the name of rectification (Barber, 2003, para.21).

True - however, though Barber already has imparted the ills of both Jihad and McWorld, his book seems to be inclined towards the vision that eventually, McWorld would victor against the other ("Jihad vs. McWorld" - Wikipedia entry, 2006, para.2). He implies this "bias" in a separate writing:

The war on terrorism must be fought, but not as the war of McWorld against Jihad. The only war worth winning is the struggle for democracy. What the new realism teaches is that only such a struggle is likely to defeat the radical nihilists. That is good news for progressives. For there are real options for democratic realists [pro-democracy ‘neo-McWorld'?] in search of civic strategies that address the ills of globalization and the insecurities of the millions of fundamentalist believers who are neither willing consumers of Western commercial culture nor willing advocates of Jihadic terror (Barber, 2003, para.19).

Barber (1992) presumes that "globalization will eventually vanquish retribalization" (para.32). The rule of McWorld-because McWorld has the appeal of the UN, International Red Cross, the World Bank, and other multinational corporations that offer "uniformity and integration," "universal law and justice" (Barber, 1992, para.19) "...if at the cost of independence, community, and identity (which is naturally only based on difference)" (Barber, 1992, para.27). On the other hand, this particular statement could suggest that the Jihad side (tribalism), regrettably, has more tendency for, or alignment with, "terroristic" values. Since, while the McWorld prototype "sometimes seem to prefer doing business [only] with local oligarchs" (ibid), [and hence exhibiting only impersonal relations with the rest of its subjects], the Jihad paradigm in contrast advocates "a vibrant local identity, a sense of community, solidarity among kinsmen, neighbors, and countrymen... But... also... parochialism and... exclusion... Deference to leaders and intolerance toward outsiders (and toward "enemies within")... Tribalism" (Barber, 1992, para.29), [a naturally resistant character]. "Solidarity is secured through war against outsiders" (ibid). The "Jihad" force then appears for Benjamin Barber as a closed unit - greatly anti-change for (modern) democracy - naturally against a more publicly appealing and culturally threatening - McWorld. A seemingly "bias" yet true to the facts.

Benjamin Barber's "Jihad vs. McWorld"

Strengths and Limitations

The book's limitations or defect, more or less, could be ascribed to 1) word-use specifically the use of the word "Jihad" to mean ‘struggling' though not necessarily suggesting the extremes: the religious/cultural warfare or terrorism, and 2) the argument technicalities prompted by the author's personal prejudice, particularly against the McWorld that "mesmerize the world with fast music, fast computers, and fast food-with MTV, Macintosh, and McDonald's, pressing nations into one commercially homogenous global network" (Barber, 1992, para.1). This indicates him to be having an ambiguous standpoint towards a pro-McWorld proposition (though apparently insistent on a more democratic McWorld).

***

"Jihad vs. McWorld" sparks off awareness on the reality of the struggle we all are witnesses to, however obliterated and indifferent we are to the problem. Although it does not offer an urgent resolution - the answer - it does pose the question that ought to be the focus of administrations and key players. This book is not just for academics - historians, political science students, or sociologists. More importantly, it should be for those whose authority or appeal, power or cultural drive - needs regulation. This book suggests that it's enough, or there's limit to regulating or re-regulating people as if they're mere objects, who are then provoked, or at a defensive stance ‘warring' struggling for it. - There must be a regulation or reduction of this power play.

***

If we all are to choose sides, then the McWorld ideal indeed thrives above, or more than "Jihad." If Benjamin Barber is correct in saying the two may both be threatening to democracy, then "between the two evils [we have to] choose the lesser evil," most especially since it appears there could be no ultimate democracy. Hence, we do have to choose sides, and I think we already did - though we don't ‘know' it.

[* The cover of the book shows a "Jihadist" quenching Pepsi - an accurate illustration of the McWorld's unbeaten entrepreneurial dictum of "finding the need then meeting it."]

~Ae Dechavez

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Bibliography

Barber, Benjamin R. JIHAD VS. MCWORLD.

Wikipedia.org. (2006) Jihad vs. McWorld - Wikipedia entry. Wikipedia.org: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Available from: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad_vs._McWorld> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

Barber, Benjamin R. (1992) Jihad vs. McWorld [Introduction to the book]. The Atlantic Monthly, Vol.269, No.3, March 1992. Available from: <http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199203/barber> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

Barber, Benjamin R. (2003) Beyond Jihad vs. McWorld. SynEARTH.network. Available from <http://solutions.synearth.net/2003/03/30> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

Other Readings

Murphy, Kevin. (2007) Money and Freedom: Jihad vs. McWorld, by Benjamin Barber. Epinions.com: Shopping.com, Inc. Available from: <http://www.epinions.com/book-review-2096-16999C85-3844DC4F-prod1> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

Fukuyama, Francis. (1995) Jihad vs. McWorld: How the Planet Is Both Falling Apart and Coming Together and What This Means for Democracy. ForeignAffairs.org: Council of Foreign Relations, Inc. Available from: <http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19951101fabook4664/benjamin-r-barber/jihad-vs-mcworld-how-the-planet-is-both-falling-apart-and-coming-together-and-what-this-means-for-democracy.html> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

GlobalAgoras.org. (2005) Jihad vs. McWorld - Context. California: The Institute of 21^st Century Agoras. Available from: <http://www.globalagoras.org/jihad.html> [Accessed 20 January 2007]

BanjaminBarber.org. (2007) Benjamin R. Barber - Books. BenjaminBarber.org. Available from: <http://www.benjaminrbarber.com/books.html> [Accessed 20January2007]