Globalization: friend or foe?

When I think of "globalization" I think of the world as becoming more and more high tech. Which is nice because globalization allows you to communicate with people all over the world, just like in those tv commercials with people from different places all talking to each other via the computer screen. I also imagine small villages in some far away land, maybe Africa, recieving it's first hospital and school. So in the general view of things, globalization is a good thing; updating the old with the new, raising the standard of living, and ultimatley connecting people and culture everywhere. But then I recall some of the points brought up by opponents of globalization in chapter one of Global Issues Local Arguments. Their reasons for protesting globalization are good ones, which include saving the environment, creating an equal distribution of the benefits of globalization, reducing consumption, fighting for social justice, etc. When I think of all these things that are the effects and costs of globalization I start to think that maybe the ends are not worth the means. In conclusion, I think that globalization has tremendous potential to do good for all the people of this world, unfortunately, there are a number of people who would take advantage of its power in order for self-gain. The only logical way to solve this would be to place regulations on certain aspects of globalization. I think that like many other systems, globalization has to be regulated. It seems that without regulation, globalization "enriches the few at the expense of the many, replacing democracy with rule by corporations and financial elites, destroying the real wealth of the planet and society to make money for the already wealthy..." (David Korten)