Practise reading modern press. Станкова Т.Ю. - 11 стр.

people worldwide. But what impact is globalization having on the
spread of political ideas?
       Protests against high fuel prices in Europe. The rise and fall of
communism. The Roman Catholic Church Privatization. The
campaign to ban land mines. Keynesian economics. The emergence
of the territorial state. The domino theory.
       Although these movements stem from diverse sources, all are
examples of political contagion. Beginning in the Middle Ages,
contagion helped spread the territorial state from Europe to the rest
of the globe, bringing with it the infectious ideology of nationalism
(1). Contagion occurred when Catholicism emerged from Rome and
expanded worldwide, when a series of states embraced Keynesian
economics in the aftermath of the Great Depression, and when the
idea of privatizing state enterprises spread from then Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher’s England to a host f other countries. During the
Cold War, fear of contagion lay at the heart of the «domino theory»,
which predicted that a single communist victory would spark a wave
of additional gains. And contagion is visible whenever an uprising in
one country inspires the citizens of another to follow suit, whether
it was Eastern Europe’s successful revolt against Soviet rule in 1989,
or the protests against rising fuel prices that swept through Western
Europe in 2000.
       The spread of political ideas and practices is not new. But as the
flow of goods, money, people, and information renders national
borders increasingly porous, many experts believe the potential for
contagion is greater than ever (2). Optimists say these trends will
accelerate the spread of democratic ideals, undermine authoritarian
governments, and hasten the emergence of a more equitable world
order (3). But pessimists worry that the permeability of state boundaries
will facilitate the spread of extremist ideologies, enable dissident groups
to coordinate their actions more effectively, and allow criminals,
terrorists, and other unsavory types to spread trouble over wider
areas. Those alarmed by U.S. hegemoney also fear that globalization
will facilitate the spread of American habits and institutions, thereby
threatening weaker societies with cultural extinction (4).
       Proponents of these diverging views share the belief that
contagion is a powerful force in contemporary world politics. In fact,
both those who fear contagion and those who embrace it are wont
to exaggerate its impact. Although political contagion does occur —


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