HL Extension, Unit 6: Global risks and resilience
1. Geopolitical and economic risks
How technological and globalizing processes create new geopolitical and economic risks for individuals and societies
How the advantages of globalization must be weighed against heightened possibilities of new geopolitical and economic risks
- Define Risk
- Define Vulnerability
- What are the risks of taking part in the global supply chain for individuals? Governments? TNCs?
- How can we reduce risk?
- How can we reduce vulnerability
Threats to individuals and businesses: hacking, identity theft and the implications of surveillance for personal freedoms
- Hacking: the gaining of unauthorized access to data in a system or computer.
- Identity theft: the fraudulent practice of using another person's name and personal information in order to obtain credit, loans, etc.
- Phishing: the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
- Malware: software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Often called trojans
- Personal freedom: freedom of the person in going and coming, equality before the courts, security of private property, freedom of opinion and its expression, and freedom of conscience subject to the rights of others and of the public
How are we becoming increasingly vulnerable by being increasingly connected to the global supply chain?
How can we defend ourselves?
Hacking
NYT: Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night, and They’re Not Keeping It Secret, Dec 10, 2018
(See also The Daily podcast about this article)
- Discuss are the implications of hacking on personal vulnerability?
- Discuss the implications of government surveillance on personal freedoms?
Threats to individuals and businesses: political, economic and physical risks to global supply chain flows
Further watching: Watch 2:00 - 5:00
NSA: National Security Agency
See also the various movies and documentaries on Edward Snowden
Exercise: Cyberattacks
In groups, describe the following cyber attacks and their political, economic and/or physical impacts
- Shamoon Virus, 2012
- The Sony Picture Hack, 2014
- Yahoo Account Theft, 2014
- Titan Rain, 2003
- Operation Shady Rat, 2008
- Wannacry
- Any other recent example with teacher approval (Ashley Madison anyone?)
New and emerging threats to the political and economic sovereignty of states: profit repatriation and tax avoidance by TNCs and wealthy individuals
(Thank you to geographyalltheway.com for many of these sources)
In groups, read one of the following article and create a thesis statement for the question below:
- Tax havens shielding companies responsible for deforestation and overfishing
- Tax havens are entrenching poverty in developing countries
- Tax and aid: To trade with loaded dice
- Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries
- HOW APPLE—AND THE REST OF SILICON VALLEY—AVOIDS THE TAX MAN
- Starbucks, Amazon and Google tax avoidance: What is the impact on developing countries?
The advantages of globalization must be weighed against heightened possibilities of economic risks. To what extend do you agree with this statement?
Disruptive technological innovations, such as drones and 3D printing
In business, a disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances. (Wikipedia)
- Can you think of a disruptive technology?
- What is the next technological advancement that will change the world?
How else can drones pose a local or national threat?
What other examples are there of drones disrupting a specific industry.
Find one example
Opensource and the maker movement Watch 15:00 to 21:00
Remember patents? What is the paradigm shift?
Good doc for the break!
What are the risks of 3D printing for people, companies and countries?
The correlation between increased globalization and renewed nationalism/tribalization: Two detailed examples to illustrate geopolitical tension/conflict
Nationalism: identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.
Tribalization: refers to the unification of groups of people with common identity (can be indigenous but does not have to be)
- Read N&C p. 625
- Complete a 4Ps Case study conceptual analysis template (YIS only) for each of the following CS.
- In an exam, you could also use Brexit or the rise of the right in the US as a CS.
Globalization and renewed Nationalism
Not the most exciting video but excellent arguments and examples
This is a continuation of your Senkaku Island conflict CS
Tribalization
Aims of ISIS
Further watching
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
- How the advantages of globalization must be weighed against heightened possibilities of new geopolitical and economic risks