The original phrase "Think global, act local" has been attributed to Scots town planner and social activist Patrick Geddes.
The term was increasingly applied to initiatives in international education and was advanced by Stuart Grauer in his 1989 University of San Diego publication, Think Globally, Act Locally: A Delphi Study of Educational Leadership Through the Development of International Resources in the Local Community.
The term is also used in business strategy, where multinational corporations are encouraged to build local roots. This is sometimes expressed by converging the words "global" and "local" into the single word "global," a term used by several companies (notably Sony Corporation and other major Japanese multinationals) in their advertising and branding strategies in the 1980s and 1990s.
Such thinking obviously has significant appeal, but it is highly misleading. Typically, this slogan pertains to environmental issues. However, it represents a particular worldview that is hostile to free markets and friendly towards governmental intervention.
The appeal of this slogan and the ideas it represents derives from legitimate issues. The persons who promote governmental control of the economy and environment do so because they see great potential for conflict in a free society based on the pursuit of self-interest. After all, how can individuals pursue their interests without coming into conflict with each other?
The simplest and most-obvious answer to this question is we cannot avoid conflict in a society of free individuals. It