WORLD IS FLAT

World is Flat

World is Flat

Flat World Impact on World Trade & U.S

"The World Is Flat continues the franchise Friedman has made for himself as a great explicator of and cheerleader for globalization, building upon his 1999 The Lexus and the Olive Tree (Pankaj, 2007). Like its predecessor, this book showcases Friedman's gift for lucid dissections of abstruse economic phenomena, his teacher's head, his preacher's heart, his genius for trend-spotting. It also shares some of the earlier volume's excitement (mirroring Rajesh Rao's) and hesitations about whether we're still living in an era dominated by old-fashioned states or in a postmodern, globalized era where states matter far less and the principal engine of change is a levelled playing field for international trade."—Warren Bass, the Washington Post.

It's easy to believe that America would be better protected if we erect walls and ban outsourcing and off shoring. If we have to compete on an equal level, won't that destroy our jobs, wages and economies? Although there will be some that fall through the cracks, more Americans will be better off in a flat world if we stick to the basic principals that make our country great(Lenhart, 2005). The assumption that a flat world will destroy labour in America is based on the belief that everything that is going to be invented has been invented and economic competition is a zero-sum game. America will do fine in a flat world as long as it continues to churn out knowledgeable workers able to produce idea-based goods that can be sold globally. There may be limits to the amount of factory-based jobs in the world, but there is no limit to the number of idea-based jobs (Lenhart, 2005).

Future job growth in the U.S. impacted by a flat world

To compete in the flat world, we will have to constantly upgrade our skills because the jobs will be for those with the knowledge and ideas to seize them. Making yourself an untouchable - someone whose job cannot be outsourced - means that you need to be specialized (Pink, 2005). A specialized position is one that cannot be digitized or easily substituted. If you can't be specialized, you have to be anchored, meaning you need a job that requires you to be in your location; waitress, barber, plumber, nurse, electrician, etc. Everyone has to become adaptable so we can continue to add value. Our nation has to be made up of workers who “learn how to learn.”

Impact of Flat World on Youth

International media is connecting into and influencing young people all over the world. I was in Lusaka, Zambia for about a week in 2008 and during that time I was able to watch the two local television channels (Friedman, 2005). Here is a list of generally what was on. On most days there were soap opera's from South Africa, Nigeria and the USA going continually.

Off course young people are watching television as often as they can and for many young people this seems to ...