Episode Summary

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Alfred Marcus
Guest: Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl
Book Discussed: Crusading for Globalization: US Multinationals and Their Opponents Since 1945 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025)
Date: September 11, 2025

Main Theme

This episode explores the history and politics behind the globalization movement after 1945, focusing on the deliberate strategies of US multinational corporations (MNCs) and the opposition they faced. Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl discusses her new book, which argues that globalization was not inevitable but was actively constructed by powerful corporate actors—primarily through the US Council for International Business (USCIB). The conversation addresses who these corporate globalizers were, the ideological and material motives behind their actions, the rise and failure of opposition (from both labor and the Global South), and the shifting political reactions to globalization up to the present day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl’s Research Journey (02:50)

• Schaufelbuehl is a history professor at University of Lausanne, with a background in European reconstruction, Swiss slavery, and transatlantic economic relations.
• Her US archival research led her to the under-studied USCIB, revealing the covert but influential role of business associations in promoting globalization.

2. The Central Actors: Corporate Globalizers & the USCIB (06:13)

• The USCIB, established in 1945, mainly gathered executives from the largest US MNCs.
• Unlike the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and US Chamber of Commerce, which often represented protectionist interests, the USCIB consistently lobbied for free trade and pro-globalization policies.
• Schaufelbuehl argues that globalization post-1945 resulted from intentional collective action by these business leaders, not "natural forces."

Quote:

“The main argument I try to make in the book is to show that globalization was the outcome of a political process, not a purely economic one.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (07:01)

• Power within companies was split; for instance, at GE, the CEO and President had diverging views on globalization vs. protectionism.

3. Motives: Ideology, Profit, or Both? (13:50)

• The pro-globalization agenda was driven by both belief in economic ideology (free markets as a path to peace post-WWII) and self-interested profit motives.
• Executives personally invested in globalizing ideals often guided the association.

Quote:

“There was clearly ideology … that free trade and free investment would also lead to world peace. But at the same time, there were material interests linked to this crusade.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (14:21)

4. Shifts in Globalization and Corporate Positioning (17:33)

• Support for globalization shifted over time depending on industry and context; some sectors were protectionist in the ‘50s but became globalists once they established foreign subsidiaries by the ‘70s.

5. The USCIB’s Institutional Role and Influence (18:52)

• The USCIB was the main US business group consistently representing multinational interests in international forums (ILO, UN, OECD).
• Its elite board still comprises major US CEOs.

Quote:

“It is the U.S. council which until today represents all of American ... business in the International Labor Organization, in the UN, and ... the OECD.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (19:22)

6. Navigating Political Opposition: Then and Now (21:03)

• The USCIB has a history of lying low during protectionist or “tariff” administrations (Reagan, Trump), while benefiting from other pro-business policies.
• Their approach has been consistent: defend globalization where feasible, but avoid public confrontation with hostile administrations.

7. Historical Legacy: The Corporate Globalizers and Multilateralism (23:40)

• USCIB elites helped craft postwar institutions (Marshall Plan, OECD, WTO), with “revolving doors” between business leadership and government policy-making.

Quote:

“It was definitely not only lobbying from the outside, but there were always corporate globalizers that were part of the different administrations.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (26:00)

8. The First Wave of Opposition: Labor and the Global South (26:59)

• In the 1970s, organized labor and leaders in the Global South formed an alliance (with Eastern bloc support) pushing for binding international regulations on MNCs via the UN.
• The anti-globalization critique focused on employment, labor, environmental protection, and sovereignty.
• The movement faltered mainly due to powerful business lobbying.

Quote:

“It was clearly a missed opportunity to achieve fairer globalization ... and it was in large part because of business lobbying and organizing by these corporate globalizers.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (29:41)

9. Nuances in Opposition: Labor, Development, and Outsourcing (30:42)

• US and European labor focused mainly on protecting domestic jobs, while Global South leaders aimed for regulatory control of MNCs in their countries.
• AFL-CIO actively pushed for legislation and wage studies in the ‘70s but lost momentum as “New Democrats” in the ‘90s adopted a pro-trade discourse.

Quote:

“The main aim was probably not to protect the populations in the Global south, but to protect the workers in the United States and in Western Europe…”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (31:07)

10. Divergent Interests in the Global South and China’s Strategy (35:48, 37:49)

• Approaches to MNCs varied by country; many in the Global South wanted enforceable obligations, while the US/Europe preferred voluntary codes.
• China, by the 1990s, actively embraced WTO rules and FDI to fuel its own growth.

11. The Second Wave: Grassroots and Rise of the Populist Right (39:35, 45:23)

• Post-1999 anti-globalization protests shifted from labor/Global South to grassroots advocacy, often left-leaning.
• After the 2008 crisis, anti-globalist sentiment surged on the right—framing globalization as a betrayal by domestic elites.
• Trump’s tariffs and right-wing protectionism represent a new form of backlash, aiming to prioritize national over global interests.

Quote:

“This opposition to globalization from the populist right … is not an opposition to globalization as a whole, but to certain aspects of globalization, [with] the will to make globalization more conform with certain national interests.”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (45:23)

12. USCIB’s Response to Changing Tide (47:37)

• The USCIB was the only major US business group to openly oppose Trump-era China tariffs, while others fell silent or acquiesced.
• In the Biden era, they continued opposition, but public advocacy dampened as trade skepticism grew in US politics.

13. Addressing Deindustrialization and Inequality (51:03)

• The corporate response to job loss and inequality has emphasized voluntary Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, not major policy reforms or regulatory frameworks.
• Real reform to ensure fair globalization remains elusive.

14. The Debate on Globalization’s Impact: Progress or Inequality? (54:08, 60:16)

• Marcus prompts Schaufelbuehl to evaluate globalization’s legacy; she remains committed to a historian’s lens, emphasizing process and power, rather than direct normative judgment.
• She notes that globalization, as pursued, has led to “accumulating wealth in the hands of a minority ... which does not mean that there was no alternative route.”

Quote:

“The structures that were put into place led to greater inequality in the world today ...”
— Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (56:31)

15. Looking Forward: Research Directions (63:39)

• Schaufelbuehl’s future research will examine the political project of neoliberalism, business think tanks, climate crisis in capitalism, and the right-wing shift of business conservatism in the US.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps (MM:SS)

• “Globalization was the outcome of a political process, not of a purely economic one.” — Schaufelbuehl (07:01)
• “There was a real belief in what they were advocating for ... but at the same time, their own companies directly profited ...” — Schaufelbuehl (14:21)
• “It is the U.S. council which until today represents all American business in the International Labor Organization ... and the OECD.” — Schaufelbuehl (19:22)
• “These corporate globalizers were very much a part of ... establishing multilateral organizations ... [like] the Marshall Plan.” — Schaufelbuehl (23:40)
• “It was clearly a missed opportunity to achieve fairer globalization ... it was in large part because of business lobbying ...” — Schaufelbuehl (29:41)
• “For labor unions … the main aim was … to protect workers [in the US and Europe] who were losing jobs and were in competition … with workers in subsidiaries ...” — Schaufelbuehl (31:07)
• “The opposition to globalization from the populist right ... is not an opposition to globalization as a whole, but to certain aspects …” — Schaufelbuehl (45:23)
• “The answer of the corporate globalizers … is continue the dynamics of globalization and free trade ... but engage in these initiatives of social responsibility ... self regulation, self regulation again.” — Schaufelbuehl (51:03)
• “What is clear to me ... is that globalization ... has contributed to accumulating wealth in the hands of a minority ... which does not mean that there was no alternative route.” — Schaufelbuehl (60:58)

Timeline of Critical Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:50 | Schaufelbuehl’s research background and discovery of the USCIB | | 06:13 | The creation, membership, and agenda of the USCIB | | 13:50 | Ideological vs material motivations for globalization | | 18:52 | USCIB’s unique institutional role in global business policy | | 21:03 | Strategic responses to political pushback (Reagan, Trump) | | 23:40 | USCIB’s hand in building postwar multilateral institutions | | 26:59 | Emergence and failure of organized anti-globalization opposition | | 30:42 | Labor vs Global South opposition motives and effects of outsourcing | | 37:49 | China’s approach to globalization and the WTO | | 39:35 | The Seattle 1999 protests and shift in anti-globalization activism | | 45:23 | Populist right’s emergence as anti-globalist force in the US | | 47:37 | USCIB’s resistance against tariffs during Trump & Biden years | | 51:03 | How multinationals addressed backlashes: CSR and voluntary self-reg | | 54:08 | Motivation for, and impact of, globalization - progress vs inequality | | 63:39 | Schaufelbuehl’s upcoming research projects |

Tone and Language

Throughout, the conversation maintains a scholarly and reflective tone. Schaufelbuehl grounds her arguments in historical research and archival evidence, consistently emphasizing nuance and resisting simplistic binaries. Marcus presses for ethical and practical implications but respects the historian’s commitment to evidence and context.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode offers a panoramic but nuanced view of the postwar history of globalization, showing it as a deliberate—and contested—project shaped by powerful business actors as well as persistent, though often defeated, opposition. Schaufelbuehl’s book and analysis challenge the myth of globalization as an inexorable force, raising essential questions about power, profit, ideology, and the possibilities of fairer global integration.