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Globalization and Democracy 229

immensely popular in some countries, especially the UK, where it was
known as “ Make Poverty History, ” using celebrities to achieve the kind
of blanket media coverage that more usually accompanies national elec-
tions or sporting events, and culminating in the Live8 concerts around
the world (Nash, 2008 ). The long - standing campaign by ATTAC
(Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of
Citizens) for the introduction of the Tobin Tax, which would levy a small

amount on each foreign finance transaction to put a brake on fl ows of
fi nance across borders and, at the same time raise money for the develop-
ing world, is another example of conditional globalization. It should
make the democratic management of national economies easier every-

where, whilst benefiting those in developing countries to a greater extent
through the income that is raised – depending, of course, on how it is
distributed (see Cassen, 2003 ).
The strategy of conditional globalization is not always so uncontro-
versial. It can be difficult to assess the real effects of campaigns focused

on internationalizing states in the West on the conditions of democracy
elsewhere. An example of such controversy is the use of the Alien Tort
Claims Act in US courts. Human rights activists have been able to sue
multinational corporations for their involvement in human rights abuses
committed elsewhere under this obscure US law dating from the eigh-
teenth century. Activists aim in this way to discourage future abuses as,
besides the shame and cost of what are always long, drawn - out court
cases, the executive directors of multinational corporations may also fear
that the goods they produce will be boycotted by outraged consumers.
The strategy of conditional globalization underpins these activities in
that the human rights movement is using the facilities of the US state in
order to prevent corporations colluding with and supporting the repres-
sive and undemocratic practices of other states. This strategy has been
celebrated by the human rights movement around the world. For example,
where Unocal, accused of colluding with the Burmese government to
enslave, rape, and murder villagers living in the area of the Yadana pipe-
line it was building, fi nally settled out of court to prevent the case being
heard by a federal jury in 2003 (Nash, 2009a ). The case that is currently
being brought in the US courts by the South African - based NGO
Khulumani against companies like Coca - Cola, Barclays Bank, and the
Bank of America that did business there during apartheid is, however,
much more problematic. The South African government is opposing the
case, arguing that processes of reconciliation and reconstruction when
apartheid was ended and a new government elected were designed to
draw a line under what happened during the previous regime. They