What's wrong with globalization?

This article reviews the range of views that are grouped together under the heading `theories of globalization'. Rather than advocating one from the range of conflicting theories, the article attempts to establish the basic ideas that they have in common. These, mostly very abstract, ideas are then developed in order to arrive at propositions that may be examined in relation to evidence about the contemporary world. It is found that none of the five major planks upon which most theories of globalization rest are accurate. On the contrary, even quite easily available evidence contradicts them. It is therefore concluded that, whatever their popular appeal, theories of globalization are not an accurate guide to the investigation of the world. The distorted consequences that flow from an adherence to a mistaken theory are demonstrated through a consideration of the nature of contemporary migration, which is shown to be an overwhelmingly intra-state, rather than transnational, phenomenon. It is argued that processes like this, and the other developments considered here, are better explained by developing the same kinds of analytic tools that were appropriate to an earlier phase of capitalist development.