Summary
In "The World Is Flat," Thomas Friedman argues that the world has become increasingly interconnected and "flat" due to a convergence of technological and political forces. He identifies ten "flatteners" that have leveled the global playing field, starting with the fall of the Berlin Wall, which opened up Eastern Europe and tipped the balance toward free-market capitalism. The advent of the internet, particularly with Netscape's public offering, made global communication and collaboration much easier. Work flow software then connected applications, allowing seamless work processes across different companies and locations. Open-sourcing, like the Apache web server project, enabled collaborative communities to create and improve software for free. Outsourcing, spurred by Y2K, showed that any work that could be digitized could be done anywhere, particularly in India. Offshoring saw companies moving entire factories to lower-cost locations like China. Supply-chaining, exemplified by Walmart, linked suppliers, retailers, and customers in real-time. Insourcing, with companies like UPS managing clients' logistics, further deepened global integration. In-forming, with Google's powerful search engine, empowered individuals to access vast amounts of information. And "steroids" like wireless and mobile computing amplified all these flatteners.
Friedman argues that this triple convergence of new technologies, new business processes, and the entry of billions of new workers from developing countries like China and India has created a new, flatter global playing field where more people can collaborate and compete than ever before. He explores the implications of this flattening for America, developing countries, and companies. For America, he stresses the need to adapt to this new environment by focusing on education, innovation, and becoming "untouchables" - people whose jobs cannot be outsourced. He advocates for compassionate flatism, a policy blend that combines free trade with investments in education, infrastructure, and safety nets like wage insurance. For developing countries, he emphasizes the importance of reform retail, which involves creating an environment that makes it easy for their people to start and run businesses, and for collaborating with the flat world.
Friedman also delves into the challenges to this flattening, such as the "unflat world" where people are too sick, too disempowered, or too frustrated to participate. He discusses the threat of radical Islam and how the flat world can both amplify and help to remedy the grievances and frustrations fueling it. He highlights the importance of social activism and the role of global corporations in fostering responsible practices in their supply chains. He introduces the "Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention," which suggests that countries deeply embedded in global supply chains are less likely to go to war with one another. Finally, he stresses the critical importance of imagination in navigating this flat world, contrasting the creative imagination of 11/9 with the destructive imagination of 9/11, and arguing that the best way to ensure a positive future is by fostering a context where young people have more dreams than memories and are empowered to translate their positive imaginations into reality.