Are ‘Globalization’s’ Costs Inevitable?

You hear often that we "live in a global world now." You hear that "globalization" means we have to drop our wages and standards to match those in impoverished, Third-World countries. You hear that the "cost" of controlling pollution makes us uncompetitive in the world. Etc. Etc. Etc. It's inevitable – a force of nature – so don't fight it, they say. This is endlessly repeated as if we weren't in a "global" world when the first camel crossed a border or the first sailing ship crossed a sea. But since that first camel countries have enacted policies to make things better for their people.