It's hard to find a word that has so traumatized a generation as has "globalization." The term has become a convenient shorthand for all the uncertainties and unknowns of daily life, a catch-all for the problems that tug at economies and threaten to unravel traditional social structures.

The unease was evident in a recent survey of five leading industrialized countries (Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States).*

Theoretically, these nations are best able to benefit from globalization. They have the technology to exploit new opportunities and the consumers that will reap rewards from lower prices. They are best suited to respond to the changes wrought by the globalization process.