Facebook founder Marck Zuckerberg left no doubt Thursday where he stands on the issue of globalism: progress “requires” it, he said.
Mr. Zuckerberg said in a statement called “Building Global Community” on his social-media platform that globalism is “the next step” for humanity, even if advocates face tough questions whether they can “make a global community that works for everyone.”
“Our greatest opportunities are now global — like spreading prosperity and freedom, promoting peace and understanding, lifting people out of poverty, and accelerating science,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. “Our greatest challenges also need global responses — like ending terrorism, fighting climate change, and preventing pandemics. Progress now requires humanity coming together not just as cities or nations, but also as a global community.”
Mr. Zuckerberg, whose fortune tops $51 billion, lamented organized opposition to globalist movements.
“Facebook stands for bringing us closer together and building a global community. When we began, this idea was not controversial,” he said. “Every year, the world got more connected and this was seen as a positive trend. Yet now, across the world there are people left behind by globalization, and movements for withdrawing from global connection. There are questions about whether we can make a global community that works for everyone, and whether the path ahead is to connect more or reverse course.
“In times like these, the most important thing we at Facebook can do is develop the social infrastructure to give people the power to build a global community that works for all of us,” he said.
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Mr. Zuckerberg said that supporters of the globalist philosophy will need to address the five following questions moving forward:
- “How do we help people build supportive communities that strengthen traditional institutions in a world where membership in these institutions is declining?”
- “How do we help people build a safe community that prevents harm, helps during crises and rebuilds afterwards in a world where anyone across the world can affect us?”
- “How do we help people build an informed community that exposes us to new ideas and builds common understanding in a world where every person has a voice?”
- “How do we help people build a civically-engaged community in a world where participation in voting sometimes includes less than half our population?”
- “How do we help people build an inclusive community that reflects our collective values and common humanity from local to global levels, spanning cultures, nations and regions in a world with few examples of global communities?”
The businessman went on to address concerns about “fake” news, and Facebook’s goal of fostering a social-media environment that cultivates “common understanding.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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