Thomas Friedman is a well recognized and critically acclaimed author of three books, all detailing economic nonfiction. Friedman has won the Pulitzer Prize three times for his work as a columnist at the New York Times. All of his books have decorated the best sellers list many times and his background in journalism and economics provide sufficient evidence of his superb qualifications (Wikipedia and book cover used as sources).
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman is a bestselling novel about the ever-changing world, and as a result the global economy and culture. This novel discusses how the world, although scientifically proven to be round, is actually flat. The phenomenon of a flat world is not an olden-age fallacy but a modern realization that the world is becoming
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. . ] from more different corners of the planet and on a more equal footing than at any previous time in the history of the world”(8). Friedman details that the world was flattened by 10 distinct events or “flatteners” that brought the world closer together and made the global economy more accessible to those in lesser developed countries or ones less prevalent on the global stage in the 19/20th centuries. The flatteners have helped equalize “access to information - it has no class boundaries, few education boundaries, few linguistic boundaries, and virtually no monetary boundaries”(185). The flatteners including, the rise of the internet, offshoring, and outsourcing, and workflow software have revolutionized how the US interacts with the world as well as how we as individuals interact globally with others. Friedman also discusses how because the world is flat, a new, higher standard of “normal” must be defined. America’s next generation of workers must not only be ready to compete, but the flat world will “require not only a new level of technical skill but also a certain mental flexibility, self-motivation, and psychological mobility” in order to survive when they are up
Friedman’s ideas are presented primarily through many columns that he had written for he New York Times. Their datelines stretch from December 15, 2000 to April 20, 2003 and from Jerusalem, Israel to Peshawar, Pakistan.
"Flatland" is a story of depth, and the lack there of. The tale of A. Square's ventures through Pointland, Lineland and Spaceland ultimately reveal to him the possibilities of the seemingly impossible. In this case, the "impossibilities" are the very existence of other dimensions, or worlds.
The pool of opportunity has grown smaller from what it once was, and it seems that opportunity parallels the wealth in capitalist America—a small number of individuals are successful in their endeavors, and the rest must settle for less with disappointment and disillusionment. While hard work and perseverance may push individuals to new heights, the power of optimism and positive thinking can only take a person so far. The great American dream and frontier is only available to those with certain circumstances, and those circumstances are becoming less available to the new generation coming into the
Friedman a person that was raised of changing the status quo and thinking differently took the inspiration of many past economics such as Keynes, and challenged them. Most notably was Friedman’s view on the free market system and the choices we have today. Friedman was a strong supporter of riding ourselves of drafts, governmental regulation of markets, the healthcare and education industries; this list go on forever in what Milton Friedman thought was wrong for the US and many other countries. Though Friedman was a pioneer in opening up and showing the free market to those that were willing to listen, many didn’t full understand the hold that not moving to a free market can have on a
As Americans we have to start to comprehend that the world around us is changing technologically, politically, and economically. In “The Last Superpower” an excerpt from the book The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria published in 2008. Zakaria emphasizes on these changes. Thomas Friedman the author of “The World is Flat” a piece from the book The World is Flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century published in 2005 also emphasizes on the same changes currently happening in the world. Zakaria and Friedman define these changes as globalization. The obvious common ground shared by both authors is their representation of globalization and the effects that it has and will continue to have on modern life. In contrast to sharing the same main topic both authors take a drastically different approach on how the relay their information to the audience. The differences displayed are mainly due to their personal and educational backgrounds, definitions of globalization as well as the individual writing styles of each author.
We need to rise up and proclaim the truth of flat earth, stripping the corrupt government agencies of their powerful control. Overwhelming evidence supports the existence of our flat earth. It is time to reject the message hardwired into our psyche and decide the truth for ourselves. It is time for flat earth.
In Edwin Abbott Abbott’s famous masterpiece of scientific fiction, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensiosn, A. Square introduces his readers to a fascinating world consisting of only two dimensions. Our scholarly guide explains the inner societal workings of Flatland, providing detailed and insightful accounts of the history, culture, and traditions of him and his people. Afterwards, A. Square is transported in his dreams to a one-dimensional world called Lineland. Our persistent protagonist tenaciously attempts to convince the monarch of Lineland to recognize the existence of a second dimension but to no avail. Soon after, A. Square himself is visited by a being hailing from Spaceland, a world with three dimensions. After much internal intellectual
Arguments supporting the "flat world theory" come mainly from Friedman. His argument rests on the assumption of ten flatteners and a triple convergence. Friedman says that the power of new information technology has helped bring the world closer together and has made it more interconnected and interdependent (Friedman, 2005). More people now have access to this technological platform for education, innovation and entrepreneurship (Friedman, 2005). However, Florida (2005, p.51) argues that this flat playing field mainly affects the advanced countries, which see not only manufacturing work but also higher-end jobs. Other developing or undeveloped countries simply do not have the luxury of this connection and are left out of this technological platform. Florida (2005, p.51) contends that “...there are more insidious tensions among the world’s growing peaks, sinking valleys, and shifting hills”. This inequality is growing across the world and within countries.
In this Op-Ed article by Thomas L. Friedman, he is concerned about the future of the world. Thought the peace he give multiple “what if?” hypothetically situations. His main idea is that “These what-ifs constitute the real policy landscape that will confront the next president. But here’s the worst “what if”: What if we’re having a presidential election but no one is even asking these questions, let alone “what if” all of these tectonic plates move at once? How will we generate growth, jobs, security and resilience?”. All the hypothetical situations he gave will face the next President and what if we aren't even asking these questions. Also what if al of theses was if’s happened at once how would we be able to survive. In order
Constant change and a flat, global competitive market landscape were described by Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, as triple convergence and was a result of the ten flatteners. Friedman also stated that in “Globalization 1.0, countries had to think globally. In Globalization 2.0, companies had to think globally to thrive, or at least survive. In Globalization 3.0, individuals have to think globally to thrive, or at least survive.” (Friedman, 2007) The concept of needing individuals to think globally and thrive in the market led Friedman to travel and report on various educational cultures across the world. Friedman was determined to find “the right stuff” to make the youth in future generations competitive globally.
The phrase: "the world is flat" can be interpreted in many ways. Basically what Friedman means by "flat" is "linked." The falling of trade and political barriers and technical advances have made it possible to do business, instantaneously with billions of other people around the world. It has allowed for parts of the world, which had previously been cut off, like China and India, to successfully compete in the world market. Thus, the playing field is being leveled, and no one nation has an advantage. Friedman could also refer to a "flat world" in a metaphorical sense. In a spherical earth you cannot see around the world and cannot recognize the opportunities far from where you live. If the world were flat you could see it all. There would be no barriers to get in your way. This is the equivalent to a smaller globe which allows one to reach far away opportunities.
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man” (Hubbard 151). Elbert Hubbard, an American writer and the founder of Roycroft Artisan community, predicted the future with his epigram. His maxim would resonate for years to come and would be seen in the future job markets. For thousands of years, technology has fundamentally changed the way we live and interact with our environment. It has brought us from the Stone Age to the Industrial Revolution. It has taken us from the creation of the computer to the landing on the moon. Not only has technology affected the old, but also it has affected the youth. For the old and aged, modern technological innovations have brought about longer lives through medicine and other health care. People today are able to live longer, live stronger, and live happier. As for the youth and growing generations, technology has also affected them in various ways. From entertainment to education, technology has designed a generation that could never have been before imagined. But technology has not stopped there; it also has affected their future. From what careers they will pursue to how much they will earn, technology will play a big role. With the rise of new machines and equipment, thousands of jobs will be created that will range from ones that involve handling the machinery to ones that cannot be done by machinery. However on the other hand, new technology also takes away thousands of other jobs from society. As businesses look for ways to maker bigger profits, they will start replacing workers with machinery that could do the job faster and better. While the amount of unemployed may increase due to the advancement of technology, there will also b...
...in the new “flat world” individuals need to figure out how to become “untouchable.” He explains that “untouchables are people whose jobs cannot be outsourced, digitized, or automated” (184). He explains that in a “flat world” there is no longer a job based solely on geographic, but rather in most cases an available job “will go to the best, smartest, most productive or cheapest worker-wherever he or she resides” (183). He goes on to show that companies and individuals have to look at the global picture today in order to succeed (183).
A 2014 Oxford study found that the number of U.S. workers shifting into new industries has been strikingly small: In 2010, only 0.5 percent of the labor force was employed in industries that did not exist in 2000. The discussion about humans, machines and work tends to be a discussion about some undetermined point in the far future. But it is time to face reality. The future is now. (UPI Top
Friedman’s theories have actually caused me to think a little bit differently about how the world job market is evolving. He seemed to make very valid points about being culturally and internationally aware, and the stressing the importance of keeping up with the level of expectation today. Through being introduced to these important issues, I feel as if I can be more aware and competitive as I live in a flatter world.