76 Transcript and key leaving your home? Imagine living in the country where there are no shops around, what would people do without the internet? To me it’s no surprise that the internet is the go-to place if people wanna [= want to] buy something. Speaker 1: Well, OK. I do see your point but the downside is that shops which used to provide an essential service to the community have disappeared because they can’t compete with the prices internet retailers can offer. I mean, if you look at high street shops in this country there are hardly any shops left apart from barber shops, mobile phone outlets and charity shops that sell second-hand items. Most of the specialised shops went bust because they lost a large amount of business to internet trading companies. Speaker 2: That is, of course, true, but what is the alternative? Even if restrictions were put on the internet traders, do you think that the specialist shops you were talking about would suddenly reappear? It may be that these shops have not really understood how to do business in the 21st century with virtually everybody having access to the internet and being able to compare prices and services on a worldwide basis. It’s sad, but on the other hand, that’s life – I mean things come and go. Speaker 1: OK. But there are other aspects as well: These internet traders can only be so competitive because they often ignore workers’ rights and pay very low wages. There have been numerous stories about these issues. We should be aware that when we buy from them, we indirectly support this form of treatment. Some of them also use tricks to avoid taxes by choosing a country as their base where they pay very little taxes. So they can pocket their profits and the resident population has to cover the social cost, like health services, unemployment benefits, all those things! Speaker 2: I think you are too critical here: Who would not take advantage of such regulations if they can without breaking the law? I think everybody would do that in a similar way. They are just bigger than others and therefore the profits are bigger as well. And frankly speaking, what should we do instead? Speaker 1: I can’t think of a solution, but it’s still a worrying aspect of life! If you ask me, my point of view is this: I think we should all get together … (fade out) 0: It creates much waste. 1: They are destroyed. 2: ordering from home/you get things fast 3: Many disappear. 4: They won’t work. 5: They ignore worker’s rights. 6: to avoid taxes 7: They are very big. 8: No, she isn’t. Research task: The advantages and disadvantages of globalisation (Key) Individual answers Test practice: Globalisation and its effects on local economies (Transcript and key) (applause) Good morning and welcome to this plenary on globalisation and its effects on local economies. If we look at the effects of globalisation today, we have to say that it has undoubtedly brought about many benefits, such as increased trade, improved living standards in large parts of the world and access to a wide range of products and services – again worldwide. However, the latest developments have also shown that there are considerable downsides and challenges which should not be forgotten. One of the consequences of globalisation is the fact that industrial production is often outsourced, that is moved to other regions or continents where the labour costs are lower. This has a direct impact on the level of employment and often leads to social problems in the regions concerned. Local industries are under pressure as they cannot compete with global suppliers. What is beneficial for groups like employers and consumers is a huge problem for small, local producers. They need to redefine their business strategies in order to survive. And we all know that they are not always successful. Importers on the other hand may benefit from lower wages and less rigorous environmental restrictions in far-away countries. However, such practices may well lead to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions and generally more pollution. Taking advantage of lower social standards in other countries or on other continents should become a thing of the past. Another huge problem is that countries in Europe, for example, become dependent on countries in other parts of the world which have created a monopoly in the production of vital goods. However complex and well-designed a production line in Europe might be, if the basic components are not supplied by countries like India or China, production must be stopped. Especially with respect to medical supplies, this has already been a big problem for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. When it comes to food consumption in the industrialised world, it is absolutely not necessary to enjoy the same type of fruit all the year round. If customers bought locally grown vegetables that are in season, for example, long-distance transport 4 5 + 32 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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