Book Review of The World is Flat, Written by Thomas L. Friedman
Hundreds of years ago, Christopher Columbus returned from the New World to the Old World to declare that the world was not flat, but round. Now, in the 21st century, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman returns from the developing world to the developed world to declare that the world is flat, as "flat as that screen" on which a budding Indian entrepreneur can "host a meeting of his whole supply chain" (Friedman 7). By flat, Friedman means that globalization has created a level playing field for more and more of the nations, industries, and individuals in the modern, technologically forward-thinking world. Friedman sees globalization, for all of its problems, as a force for good. It has the power to unite more than it has the power to divide, and to create equality rather than increase the tensions between the haves and the have-nots, as is sometimes alleged. However, although his enthusiasm and vibrant prose is at times infectious, ultimately Friedman seems frighteningly unconcerned about the costs to the developing and the developed world of the unchecked power of multinational companies. Globalization may have benefited some people in the developing world, like the young Indian entrepreneurs, accountants, and engineers tha
This reduced cost means cheaper goods, and a more efficient use of the supply chain. At one point, Microsoft CTO says that if he was born today, he would rather be a genius born in China than an average guy born in Poughkeepsie, while before he would choose to be born in America, with all its opportunities, no matter what. t so impress Friedman, but it is questionable if their success can be used to stand for all workers in ever hemisphere of the globe. And the Western ideological, capitalist face that globalization seems to wear, at least in the eyes of Islamic extremists, means that the phenomenon of terrorism and globalization cannot be separated, as much as Friedman might hope that "terrorism" will not "get in the way" of "prosperity, innovation, and collaboration" of multinational enterprises (Friedman 8). And if the United States thought it was difficult to deal with the losers, the winners present an even thornier set of challenges" (Zakaria 2005:1). The world's future-the big picture-is more likely to be shaped by the winners of this era. It is difficult to call OPEC a loser in globalization, for all of the backward ideology some of its nations may seem to espouse, in Western eyes. Flattened? Flattened? My God, he's telling me the world is flat!" (Friedman 7). There is even something called a 'Wal-Mart' effect, whereby Wal-Mart drives down wages, so the workers are so poor that they have no choice other than to buy at Wal-Mart. Now opportunities are boundless (Friedman 225).
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