Lexus and the Olive Tree
In The Lexus and the Olive Tree, author Thomas L. Friedman explains thefacts, functions, and faults of globalization. According to Friedman, inspite of swarms of backlash against it, globalization is inevitable:resistance is futile. The current of free market trade is too powerful tostop, but the author offers hope for a balanced future in whichconsiderations of culture, politics, environmentalism, and personal libertyare protected. To approach his topic, the author covers economics,politics, and sociology, demonstrating how these factors both shapeglobalization and are shaped by globalization. The book is divided intofour sections. The first, "Seeing the System," provides a comprehensiveoverview of the subject: how globalization works, what exactly it entails.The second section is called "Plugging into the System," and here Friedmanaddresses how individuals, communities, and nations interact with and areimpacted by globalization. In the third section of the book, "BacklashAgainst the System," the author briefly discusses some of the major forcesfighting against the current geo-political trends. Finally, the fourthsection of the book, "America and the System," deals with America's unique
The author haswitnessed the Americanization of the world in the many countries he hasvisited, from China to Qatar. " Just as average individuals are able to make a far-reaching impact onthe world through their investment dollars, so too are average individualsable to take advantage of technology to destroy the symbols andinfrastructures of globalization. Japan and WesternEurope remain wary of totally unfettered markets and still desire somerestraint by government. This new phase is characterized by thespeedy mass movement of information, information technologies, and fluidfinances and is not dependent on raw materials or manufacturing as it oncewas. However, the global market also entails a high degree ofgambling, speculation, and risk-taking. Supermarkets can establish law througheconomic imperative and can change the ways citizenry view their culture,their nation, their neighbor, their livelihoods, and their worldview ingeneral. Unfortunately, these two forces do exist in conflict, however. American values aremost conducive to globalization, much more so than European or Japanesecultural and political values, according to the author. Indeed, globalization has immensedrawbacks that can be potentially devastating to people, cultures, and theecosystem. Therefore, the Electronic Herdaffects every aspect of existence on the planet today, from wages to wars. Although the book was written pre-September 11,Friedman already has a strong handle on the impact of globalization on thepolitics of the Middle East and on what he calls "Super-Empowered AngryMen. However, Friedman also shows how acombination of technological breakthrough and forward-thinking politics cannip this problem in the bud. Symbolized by the olive tree, the desire toestablish and nurture such roots need not be in conflict withglobalization. Much of the backlash against globalization, according to Friedman,comes from those who were formerly in power: the bureaucrats and governmentofficials whose influence is now stemmed by that of the multinationals andthe Supermarkets.
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