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suppliers； and they are actually very open to having their factory standards lifted；
because they know that if they get up to the standards of HP they can leverage that
to get business from Dell or Sony。
Advocates of compassionate flatism need to educate consumers to the fact that their
buying decisions and buying power are political。 Every time you as a consumer make
a decision； you are supporting a whole set of values。 You are voting about the barriers
and friction you want to preserve or eliminate。 Progressives need to make this
information more easily available to consumers； so more of them can vote the right
way and support the right kind of global corporate behavior。
Marc Gunther； a senior writer for Fortune magazine andthe author of Faith and Fortune：
The Quiet Revolution to Reform American Business； is one of the few business writers
who have recognized how global corporations can be influenced by progressive politics。
〃To be sure；〃 wrote Gunther in an essay in The Washington Post （November 14； 2004）；
〃there are plenty of scoundrels out there； indifferent to the rights and wrongs of
corporate behavior。 And some executives who talk of social is302
sues may be only mouthing the words。 But the bottom line is that a growing number
of companies have come to believe that moral values； broadly and liberally defined；
can help drive shareholder values。 And that is a case study from which everyone could
learn。〃
This progressive tilt of big business has not generated much press attention； Gunther
noted。 〃Partly that's because scandal stories are juicier。 Mostly it's because
changes in corporate practices have been incremental…and because reporters tend to
dismiss talk of corporate social responsibility as mere public relations。 But chief
executives of closely…watched firms like General Electric do not promise to become
better global citizens unless they intend to follow through。 'If you want to be a
great company today；' Jeff Immelt； GE's CEO； likes to say； 'you have to be a good
company。' When I asked him why GE has begun to talk more openly about corporate
citizenship； he said： 'The reason why people come to work for GE is that they want
to be about something that is bigger than themselves。' As Immelt suggests； the biggest
driver of corporate reform is the desire of companies to attract people who seek
meaning as well as money from their work。 Few of us go to our jobs every day to enhance
shareholder value。 Younger people； especially； want to work for companies with a
mission that goes beyond the bottom line。〃
In sum； we are now in a huge transition as companies are coming to understand not
only their power in a flat world but also their responsibilities。 Compassionate
flatists believe that this is no time to be sitting on one's hands； thinking
exclusively in traditional left…right； consumer…versus…company terms。 Instead we
should be thinking about how collaboration between consumers and companies can
provide an enormous amount of protection against the worst features of the flattening
of the world； without opting for classic protectionism。
〃Compassionate capitalism。 Think it sounds like an oxymoron？ Think again；〃 said
Gunther。 〃Even as America is supposedly turning conservative on social issues； big
business is moving in the other direction。〃
303
Parenting
No discussion of compassionate flatism would be complete without also discussing the
need for improved parenting。 Helping individuals adapt to a flat world is not only
the job of governments and companies。 It is also the job of parents。 They too need
to know in what world their kids are growing up and what it will take for them to
thrive。 Put simply； we need a new generation of parents ready to administer tough
love： There comes a time when you've got to put away the Game Boys； turn off the
television set； put away the iPod； and get your kids down to work。
The sense of entitlement； the sense that because we once dominated global commerce
and geopolitics…and Olympic basketball…we always will； the sense that delayed
gratification is a punishment worse than a spanking； the sense that our kids have
to be swaddled in cotton wool so that nothing bad or disappointing or stressful ever
happens to them at school is； quite simply； a growing cancer on American society。
And if we don't start to reverse it； our kids are going to be in for a huge and socially
disruptive shock from the flat world。 While a different approach by politicians is
necessary； it is not sufficient。
David Baltimore； the Nobel Prize…winning president of Caltech； knows what it takes
to get your child ready to compete against the cream of the global crop。 He told me
that he is struck by the fact that almost all the students who make it to Caltech；
one of the best scientific universities in the world； come from public schools； not
from private schools that sometimes nurture a sense that just because you are there；
you are special and entitled。 〃I look at the kids who come to Caltech； and they grew
up in families that encouraged them to work hard and to put off a little bit of
gratification for the future and to understand that they need to hone their skills
to play an important role in the world；〃 Baltimore said。 〃I give parents enormous
credit for this； because these kids are all coming from public schools that people
are calling failures。 Public education is producing these remarkable students…so it
can be done。 Their parents have nurtured them to make sure that they realize their
potential。 I think
we need a revolution in this country when it comes to parenting around education。〃
Clearly； foreign…born parents seem to be doing this better。 〃About one…third of our
students have an Asian background or are recent immigrants；〃 he said。 A significant
majority of the students coming to Caltech in the engineering disciplines are
foreign…born； and a large fraction of its current facultyis foreign…born。 〃In biology；
at the postdoc level； the dominance of Chinese students is overwhelming；〃 said
Baltimore。 No wonder that at the big scientific conferences today； a majority of the
research papers dealing with cutting…edge bioscience have at least one Chinese name
on them。
My friends Judy Estrin and Bill Carrico have started several networking companies
in Silicon Valley。 At one time； Judy was chief technology officer for Cisco。 I sat
with them one afternoon and talked about this problem。 〃When I was eleven years old；〃
said Bill； 〃I knew I was going to be an engineer。 I dare you to find an eleven…year…old
in America who wants to be an engineer today。 We've turned down the ambition level。〃
Added Judy； 〃More of the problem ＇can be solved by good＇ parenting than can be solved
from a regulatory or funding move。 Everyone wants to fund more of this and that； but
where it starts is with the parents。 Ambition comes from the parents。 People have
to get it。 It will probably take a crisis ＇to get us refocused＇。〃
In July 2004； comedian Bill Cosby used an appearance at Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund's annual conference to upbraid
African…Americans for not teaching their children proper grammar and for black kids
not striving to learn more themselves。 Cosby had already declared； 〃Everybody knows
it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads。 You can't be a doctor with
that kind of crap coming out of your mouth。〃 Referring to African…Americans who
squandered their chances for a better life； Cosby told the Rainbow Coalition； 〃You've
got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job； because you didn't
want to get an education and now you're ＇earning＇minimum wage。 You should have thought
more of yourself when you were in high school； when you had an opportunity。〃
305
When Cosby's remarks attracted a lot of criticism； Reverend Jackson defended him；
arguing； 〃Bill is saying； let's fight the right fight。 Let's level the playing field。
Drunk people can't do that。 Illiterate people can't do that。〃
That is right。 Americans are the ones who increasingly need to level the playing
field…not by pulling others down； not by feeling sorry for ourselves； but by lifting
ourselves up。 But when it comes to how to do that； Cosby was saying something that
is important for black and white Americans； rich and poor。 Education； whether it comes
from parents or schools； has to be about more than just cognitive skills。 It also
has to include character building。 The fact is； parents and schools and cultures can
and do shape people。 The most important influence in my life； outside of my family；
was my high school journalism teacher； Hattie M。 Steinberg。 She pounded the
fundamentals of journalism into her students…not simply how to write a lead or
accurately transcribe a quote but； more important； how to comport yourself in a
professional way。 She was nearing sixty at the time I had her as my teacher and high
school newspaper adviser in the late 1960s。 She was the polar opposite of 〃cool；〃
but we hung around her classroom like it was the malt shop and she was Wolfman Jack。
None