The Great Sorting Out Thomas L. Friedman analyses technological advances that are making a more economic level playing field with disadvantaged countries rising in knowledge and wealth before. Countries such as China and India has mastered in telephone and computer technology to make these nations become competitive economically.
As we explore America’s place in the fast-evolving world economic platform, Friedman presents not only the problems we face, but also the preventative and the possible solutions.As he moves towards the end of this presentation of his theory, Friedman warns of the forces that could seriously harm or slow the flattening of the world, particularly the threat posed by terrorist networks such as Al-Qaeda. His perspective is refreshing in a media driven largely by scare tactics and fear mongering as he encourages a realistic and objective approach to this threat. However, the world is flat is the timely and essential update on globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalists.
Friedman repeatedly uses lists as an organizational device to communicate key concepts, usually numbered, and often with a provocative label. Two example lists are the ten forces that flattened the world, and three points of convergence Thomas L. Friedman focuses on a great amount of energy in connecting the “sorting out” period that is coming to pass with his ten originals flatteners. Friedman also describes what he believes will follow the triple convergence. The triple convergence is likely to cause some chaos and confusion.Friedman offers some examples of the issues that result from the triple convergence that will have to be negotiated in the great sorting out, such as when an Indian company won the contract to upgrade the unemployment department of the state of Indiana because it was able to place a bid 8,1 million dollars lower that its competitors.
As the “sorting out” continues, Friedman starts focusing on America’s role which associated with business and economic superiority.Then, Friedman calls for a reality check as we explore the manner in which countries and societies will cope with and adapt to the dramatic changes that globalization brings to the way we do business, as individuals and entities. His comparison of the Industrial Revolution to the current IT Revolution leads us to believe that the world flattening where we see today could have been predicted by Karl Marx. An interview with Harvard’s noted political theorist Michael J. Sandel discusses whether or not exploitation is globalization; are the outsourced people from India being exploited or given opportunity they would not otherwise have had?In search of an answer to this question, Friedman examines the India-Indiana story from 2003, where an Indian company was outsourced to upgrade Indiana’s unemployment computer system, effectively taking work from people in Indiana in order to provide more work for people in India. We examine the blurring boundaries between companies and different groups of workers, as well as the relationships between communities and the businesses that operate within them.
Friedman demonstrates that as little people begin to act big, so too are big people able to connect on the smallest level.Identities become harder to define, which will also need to be sorted out. The traditional roles of consumer, employee, citizen, taxpayer and shareholder have all become blurred and intertwined. The distinction between businesses and communities will be the hardest part because the tensions among our identities as consumers, employees, citizens, taxpayers and shareholders are going to come into sharper the conflict.
In the book, Friedman seems to be under the assumption that the majority in the world is ready for such rapid changes.However, if you admit the great political divide in our own country, you must come to the realization that unity requires interconnectedness. That interconnectedness may come from “the flattening of the world” is setting the stage for a “proletarian revolution. ” Friedman discusses how outsourcing will transform the working population in the United States and that adaptable educated American workers will overcome and change career fields to fit the expanding needs the global society. Besides, poverty often produces a very angry and powerful voice.
Throughout history individuals with the ability mobilize and organize an angry mob have great influence in changing society. If the “flattening of the world” does not keep pace with the demands of society we may see a division from the business perspective of “trimming all the fat. ” As a society we must be ready for the changes to come, but the pace must be governed for what the majority of the population is ready for. The problem is that Friedman does not understand that nationalism, even compassionate one because in his world, any compassion will lead into failure.Moreover, any national compassion means he is favoring the local to the foreigner.
His compassion therefore is limited. To some extent, this is similar to Pareto optimality, but does not go beyond to social indifference curves deciding to what extent the increase in revenue for a starving Indian justifies the reduction an American job. And then, what Friedman ignores is that in a truly globalized world, there are no Americans, there are only humane social responsibilities have to be given, there are human beings.The real socially responsible solution is ignored by Friedman which is a global government for a global world with global transfer payments.
In conclusion, Thomas Friedman believes that to fight the quiet crisis of a flattening world, the United States work force should keep updating its work skills. Making the work force more adaptable, Friedman argues, will keep it more employable. He also suggests that the government make it easier to switch jobs by making retirement benefits and health insurance less dependent on one's employer and by providing insurance that would partly cover a possible drop in income when changing jobs.Friedman also believes there should be more inspiration for youth to be scientists, engineers, and mathematicians due to a decrease in the percentage of these professionals being American. REFERENCES http://www.
wikisummaries. org/The_World_Is_Flat#Chapter_Four_. E2. 80. 93_The_Great_Sorting_Out http://en. wikipedia.
org/wiki/The_World_Is_Flat http://thebestnotes. com/booknotes/World_Is_Flat_Friedman/World_Is_Flat_Study_Guide04. html The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century, by Thomas L. Friedman
