Chapters 22, 27, 33 - Julia Cruz Santana

Those chapters were not just full of important information, but also new ideas and considerations that make the reader think again about the world they live in. Chapter 22 brings a insight about U.S.' economy that a lot of people don't think about it, the amount of influence U.S. has in the global economy. The rise of China is a reality, but can we already consider U.S. a loser? I have to say no, and I believe Friedman gives us just the why. The U.S. economy possibilities can be steady, but their influence in the international economy is really stinky. The author shows us how the agencies like IMF or WT have so much interference from U.S. that scares us with the "possibility of no return". For some countries, especially in Central America, is hard to imagine a economy without U.S., and it is because U.S. made sure that this was a reality. The "hope" is that "Other countries, led by China, will create their own defences, balkanising the rules of technology, trade and finance", like BRICS countries. 

Chapter 27 then brought an accurate definition of IMF, "a new form of the old colonial mentality". Stiglitz show us how Globalization had the possibility to be good, but when benefiting only a minor part, it became a new form of colonization. Similar to colonies, when in the agencies rules, poor countries can't live by themselves, but live to export to countries that can pay. Who is really benefiting from that globalization? Can we consider a coincidence that the countries that have the most power in these agencies are the ones that most import goods and benefit from less tariffs? I was amazed by the phrase “we in the North who run our capital markets, know best. Do what we tell you to do, and you will prosper.” because it is exactly this. The ego of this "developed" countries to the ones they consider inferior is offensive. It seems like they think that these economies are primitive or childish, needing a grown one to guide them. The big ones doesn't seem to remember that many of these countries became a country only 50 years ago. It is sad that U.S,' founding fathers made a constitution to prevent tyranny in their land, but couldn't predict that they themselves could be the tyrants of the world. 

To end, Chapter 33 show important intel in the real effects of IMF. The lack of statistical significance of IMF 's benefits is simply crazy, any social experiment would be closed with that statistics. Maybe 100 years from now historians will talk about this international agency that disguised as helpful but really just used the good intentional to penetrate other economies. "Not surprisingly, the IMF is well known throughout the developing world – to the elites and the masses alike. The organization often appears to exercise as much or even more authority than their own governments" this quote from the author show us how similar to colonization this agencies can act, and this chapter shows hows the intentions of helping the countries became the blockages that no country asked for or apparently can benefit from.