Berlin Wall Essay Example for Free

Berlin Wall Essay [] A few decades ago, before the beginning of the 21st century, the world was divided between the East and the West: US Capitalism and USSR Communism. Indeed, after World War II, two of the world’s superpowers fought each other indirectly; developing the idea of a silent war which later came to be known as the Cold War. During the Cold War, the world’s division was symbolically represented by the Berlin Wall – the iconic divide that separated East Germany from West Germany. With this division came the idea of a divided world separated by political paranoia, hegemonic supremacy and ideological dominance – all of which played a role in masking the other side of world with darkness and misinformation. Truly, the world was not integrated at that time. To a person living during that time, it may have seemed hopeless to dream of a world where everything is connected; where neither political, economical nor cultural (ideological) forces and agendas shaped and determined, not only international affairs, but also the internal affairs of other countries. Fortunately, history has its ways. In 1989, the Berlin Wall met its utter destruction. The USSR â€Å"lost† the Cold War and the United States was left as the only surviving hegemonic state that was fortunate enough to enter the 21st century with victorious colors. With its supposed â€Å"victory† at hand, the United States was left with no other choice but to encourage other countries to adopt their own policy of capitalism and free trade. As such, with the world’s entrance to the 21st century, a new field of study was conceptualized and disseminated: Globalization. Though controversially dubbed as Americanization by some, Globalization is, indeed, a force of free trade that is augmented by the United States’ idea of Capitalism. As more and more countries began to adopt the concept of Capitalism, free trade grew in the International Community; thus, sparking a phenomenal revolution – a revolution where goods, services, labor and, most important of all, information moved unprecedentedly across borders and sovereignties. In fact, this revolution was so intense that academics and economists alike began talking about the notion of a â€Å"shrinking† world. Indeed, with the advent of globalization came the shrinking of the world – shrinking simply because people and goods can now move across countries without hindrance. Furthermore, communication took new heights into allowing individuals from a certain country to communicate with another person from a different that is largely opposite of his/her side of the world’s hemisphere. Truly, for the first time in the history of the world, the International Community became almost completely integrated. Though detrimental to some countries, it cannot be denied that this form of integration caused by the powerful force globalization has benefited almost every country in the world. For one thing, it has allowed consumers from different countries to experience having different choices when it comes to buying goods. Another is that every country in the International Community today have begun to realize that economic interdependence is the key to immense growth and development. In other words, trading with other countries may seem a better option than conquering them. Truly, such economic integration brought about by Capitalism has made the world less likely to enter into a Third World War. Though not the first of its kind in the history of humankind, this form of integration in the 21st century is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive and most beneficial of all. It has allowed different cultures to flourish, not only within each country’s respective societies, but also within other countries’ societies as well.