Benefits of globalisation must be harnessed for greater good ... or else

The alternative to harnessing the benefits of globalisation for all is too horrible to contemplate: A continued widening of the gap between the rich and poor leading to widespread political unrest and a retreat to dark ages of primitive nationalism, argues Victoria White.

GLOBALISATION may not be as old as the hills but it may be as old as Newgrange. Wholesale cultural exchange has been going on for millennia. Peter Frankopan’s new book, The Silk Roads, makes this point as it reframes our history in the context of dynamic interchange between East and West.

One of my favourite stories is that of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 300 AD who was short of cash and desperate to squeeze every cent of tax out of every corner of his Empire. He attempted to set prices for staple goods across his realm and in Bodrum, Turkey, he counted 26 types of women’s footwear, including gilded sandals and “purple low-rise Babylonian style” shoes.