Thomas Friedman (1953- )
American journalist and expert on globalization (pictured right), terrorism and climate change.
Key books
Lexus and the Olive Tree
(1999)
(see Lexus and
the Olive Tree in the Business Books section for more detail).
Global society should balance the:
- Lexus (the wealth creating global economy).
- Olive tree (preserving the identity of individuals,
communities and countries).
Key quote on globalization
A healthy global society is one that can balance the Lexus and the olive tree all the time.
The World is Flat
(2005)
Ten forces have made the world “flat” i.e. globally interconnected and competitive with
companies competing on a level playing field:
1. The collapse of
communism
Capitalism spread to Eastern Europe (after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989) and the Far East (including
China).
2. The Internet
Linking people in a global information network.
3. Work flow software
Enabling computers to communicate with each other globally.
4. Open
sourcing
Free software and information and network sites like Wikipedia and blogs.
“The most disruptive force of all”, says Friedman.
5. Outsourcing
Buying resources from foreign suppliers.
6. Offshoring
Transferring a company’s activities (like production) abroad to benefit from skilled employees at lower
cost.
7. Supply chaining
Global suppliers, retailers and customers.
The “Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention” states that two countries in the same global
supply chain will never fight each other.
8. Insourcing
Employees providing services to other companies.
9. In-forming
Using search engines like Google to expand your knowledge.
10. The
Steroids
Digital mobile devices like mobile phones and iPods.
Key quotes on
careers
There will be plenty of good jobs out there in the flat world for people with the knowledge and ideas to seize
them.
Girls, finish your homework - people in China and India are starving for your jobs. - Friedman’s advice to
his two daughters.
Key quotes on knowledge and
education
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
We simply are not educating, or even interesting, enough of our own young people in advanced math, science, and
engineering.
In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears - and that is
our problem.
Hot, Flat and Crowded
(2008)
The world is:
1. Hot
Climate
change (or global warming) will destroy us, unless leaders have the courage to give it top
priority and introduce a “green revolution" based on:
- conservation of nature and
wildlife.
2.
Flat
This refers to the globalization of the world
economy which leads to:
3.
Crowded
Growing world population (including more wealthy
middle class people in industrializing countries like China and India).
This leads to:
Key quotes on climate
change
“The ability to develop clean power and energy-efficient technologies is going to become the defining measure of
a country’s economic standing, environmental health, energy security and national security over the next fifty
years”.
Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth (quoting a Norwegian
oil executive).
That Used to Be Us written
with Michael Mandelbaum ,pictured right
below (2011)
America needs purpose, leadership and resolve to solve its big problems:
1. Poor education
(particularly in mathematics and science).
Success has made Americans lazy.
2. Climate change
and energy shortages
In 2009 America spent more on potato chips than energy research and development
3. Lack of political consensus
Everyone must co-operate and make sacrifices to achieve a common purpose, as they did in Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
4. Decline of manufacturing and innovation
People must take responsibility for continuous learning and innovation.
5. Global competition
Other countries (like China) are performing better, particularly in education.
6. Huge government deficit
This has big political and social consequences because:
- the deficit is heavily financed by China
- an ageing population will hugely increase health and social care spending
Key quotes (on America)
Nations that don't invest in their future tend not to do well there
The future of the country is in our hands, as it was for the GIs on the beaches of Normandy.
Our problem is not China...Our problem is us.
|