I have two big objections here. The first is I think this account is too pessimistic about the resilience of global trade, the profit motive and people’s desire to acquire new stuff, all of which ultimately are the big “true” drivers of globalisation. (Excellent column from Alan Beattie earlier this year on that.) Trade between nations has weathered, among other things, the collapse of the western Roman empire, religious upheaval, plagues and war.