Ottawa International Writer's Festival

I really enjoyed 3 sessions at the Ottawa Writer's fest today. Luckily for me, Carleton University offered 500 free tickets to the festival, and I took full advantage.

There were 3 sessions:

The first , John Ralston Saul speaking about his new book A Fair Country. which is fantastic, and the presentation was just as good. This is a great book, though in many ways I like Reflections of a Siamese Twin better. Maybe because it was my first experience in reading Saul. What I like best about Saul is that he always challenges and provokes thought. I've never read anyone who confused and delighted me as much.

The second, was a bit more of a discussion between Tarek Fatah and Michael Adams on mutliculturalism. This was a bit of a disappointment because there was little dicussion and a air amount of hyperbole. The defence of multiculturalism was also pretty weak I though.

He actually summed it up saying that it was about creating "mixed race babies".

The third was a presentation by Major Gen. (ret.) Lewis Mackenzie.

I found it interesting to look at someone who i fundamentally disagree with in the eyes, and realize that they have reason behind what they say and they have charisma and intelligence and passion. This is important, and I find more and more that there seems to be less room for intelligent well informed debate and now you see more about style. More debate on form than content. This is no doubt important but it reminded me that it is possible to debate ideas.

The writer's festival which I attended for the first time in several years is an enjoyable experience for me, and I'm glad Carleton decided to purchase 500 tickets and distribute them for free to students. The intellectual stimulation will be with me for a long time, I always find my own ideas, challenged supported, and sometimes confirmed. It's always fascinating to see the authors of some of my favorite books, defend them in public and speak about them. I remember how fascinating it was to hear Yann Martel talk about his book the life of Pi, and how much more depth and understanding his presentation added to my appreciation of his book.

I hope I can keep attending, as this really is a wonderful festival.

Making "globalization" work

After one reads a book like The Collapse of Globalism by John Ralston Saul, one is forced to look at globalization in a different light.

I just finished reading Making Globalization Workby Joseph Stiglitz, and for all its good intentions and its good analysis, particularly on the trade front as well as interesting insight into the reserve system, the author refuses to make that break from using the term globalization.

I find it fascinating that the two books will make the same point, but Saul is willing to point out that the word "globalization" used in the early 1990s at least popularly, is not used in the same way today.

We have in fact moved into a post globalization era. I think that once we recognize this and start using new language, we can begin to truly change things. Language is important and I think the more we hang on to the terminology of globalization which has been captured largely by the economist and right wingers the longer it will take for real change to occur.

I really think the book by Stiglitz really demonstrates the point that Saul makes, that the term has become so broad as to be meaningless. It can mean one thing and it's opposite, the use of the term economic globalization and other such terms merely serve to obscure the fundamental point that when one uses the term globalization it has no meaning at all anymore.