Theory of Constructed Globalization

The view that "globalization"—the dense interconnection of economies, cultures, and politics—is not an inevitable, natural force like the weather, but a political project built by specific policies. Trade agreements, container shipping standards, international financial regulations, and telecom treaties are the deliberate architectural plans. The "global village" feels like a reality, but it is a constructed infrastructure that could be built differently, or dismantled.

Example: "Your phone, with parts from 12 countries, feels like proof of 'natural' globalization. The Theory of Constructed Globalization points to the blueprint: the 1990s WTO agreements that slashed tariffs, the ISO shipping container specs, and the U.S. Navy's protection of sea lanes. This connectivity isn't gravity; it's a carefully engineered system. Calling it 'inevitable' just hides the power of the engineers."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Industrial Revolution

The argument that the narrative of the "Industrial Revolution" as a sudden, inevitable, and monolithic turning point is itself a historical construction. It lumps together disparate, localized technological changes (in textiles, steam, iron) into a single, epic story of "Progress" to serve national myths and ideological narratives (like the triumph of capitalism). This construction obscures the alternatives, the brutal costs, and the fact that it wasn't a "revolution" to those living through its decades of messy, uneven change.

*Example: "Textbooks present the Industrial Revolution as a neat before-and-after: farms to factories. The Theory of Constructed Industrial Revolution says that story was built later by historians and boosters to explain the rise of British power. For a spinner in Manchester in 1790, it wasn't a 'revolution'; it was a confusing, brutal shift in daily grind. The sweeping narrative constructs a destiny from what was, in the moment, a chaotic, contested, and far from inevitable mess."*

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026