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reason： As the world goes flat； and more and more of the tools of collaboration get
distributed and com…moditized； the gap between cultures that have the will； the way；
and the focus to quickly adopt these new tools and apply them and those that do not
will matter more。 The differences between the two will become amplified。
One of the most important books on this subject is The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
by the economist David Landes。 He argues that although climate； natural resources；
and geography all play roles in explaining why some countries are able to make the
leap to industrialization and others are not； the key factor is actually a country's
cultural endowments； particularly the degree to which it has internalized the values
of hard work； thrift； honesty； patience； and tenacity； as well as the degree to which
it is open to change； new technology； and equality for women。 One can agree or disagree
with the balance Landes strikes between these cultural mores and other factors shaping
economic performance。 But I find refreshing his insistence on elevating the culture
question； and his refusal to buy into arguments that the continued stagnation of some
countries is simply about Western colonialism； geography； or historical legacy。
In my own travels； two aspects of culture have struck me as particularly relevant
in the flat world。 One is how outward your culture is： To what degree is it open to
foreign influences and ideas？ How well does it 〃glocalize〃？ The other； more intangible；
is how inward your culture is。 By that I mean； to what degree is there a sense of
national solidarity and a focus on development； to what degree is there trust within
the society
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for strangers to collaborate together； and to what degree are the elites in the country
concerned with the masses and ready to invest at home； or are they indifferent to
their own poor and more interested in investing abroad？
The more you have a culture that naturally glocalizes…that is； the more your culture
easily absorbs foreign ideas and best practices and melds those with its own
traditions…the greater advantage you will have in a flat world。 The natural ability
to glocalize has been one of the strengths of Indian culture； American culture；
Japanese culture； and； lately； Chinese culture。 The Indians； for instance； take the
view that the Moguls come； the Moguls go； the British come； the British go； we take
the best and leave the rest…but we still eat curry； our women still wear saris； and
we still live in tightly bound extended family units。 That's glo…calizing at its best。
〃Cultures that are open and willing to change have a huge advantage in this world；〃
said Jerry Rao； the MphasiS CEO who heads the Indian high…tech trade association。
〃My great…grandmother was illiterate。 My grandmother went to grade two。 My mother
did not go to college。 My sister has a master's degree in economics； and my daughter
is at the University of Chicago。 We have done all this in living memory； but we have
been willing to change 。 。 。 You have to have a strong culture； but also the openness
to adapt and adopt from others。 The cultural exclu…sivists have a real disadvantage。
Think about it； think about the time when the emperor in China threw out the British
ambassador。 Who did it hurt？ It hurt the Chinese。 Exclusivity is a dangerous thing。〃
Openness is critical； added Rao； 〃because you start tending to respect people for
their talent and abilities。 When you are chatting with another developer in another
part of the world； you don't know what his or her color is。 You are dealing with people
on the basis of talent…not race or ethnicity…and that changes； subtly； over time your
whole view of human beings； if you are in this talent…based and performance…based
world rather than the background…based world。〃
This helps explain why so many Muslim countries have been struggling as the world
goes flat。 For complicated cultural and historical reasons； many of them do not
glocalize well； although there are plenty of
exceptions…namely； Turkey； Lebanon； Bahrain； Dubai； Indonesia； and Malaysia。 All of
these latter countries； though； tend to be the more secular Muslim nations。 In a world
where the single greatest advantage a culture can have is the ability to foster
adaptability and adoptability； the Muslim world today is dominated by a religious
clergy that literally bans ijtihad； reinterpretation of the principles of Islam in
light of current circumstances。
Think about the whole mind…set of bin Ladenism。 It is to 〃purge〃 Saudi Arabia of all
foreigners and foreign influences。 That is exactly the opposite of glocalizing and
collaborating。 Tribal culture and thinking still dominate in many Arab countries；
and the tribal mind…set is also anathema to collaboration。 What is the motto of the
tribalist？ 〃Me and my brother against my cousin； me； my brother； and my cousin against
the outsider。〃 And what is the motto of the globalists； those who build collaborative
supply chains？ 〃Me and my brother and my cousin； three friends from childhood； four
people in Australia； two in Beijing； six in Bangalore； three from Germany； and four
people we've met only over the Internet all make up a single global supply chain。〃
In the flat world； the division of labor is steadily becoming more and more complex；
with a lot more people interacting with a lot of other people they don't know and
may never meet。 If you want to have a modern complex division of labor； you have to
be able to put more trust in strangers。
In the Arab…Muslim world； argues David Landes； certain cultural attitudes have in
many ways become a barrier to development； particularly the tendency to still treat
women as a source of danger or pollution to be cut off from the public space and denied
entry into economic activities。 When a culture believes that； it loses a large portion
of potential productivity of the society。 A system that privileges the men from birth
on； Landes also argues； simply because they are male； and gives them power over their
sisters and other female members of society； is bad for the men。 It builds in them
a sense of entitlement that discourages what it takes to improve； to advance； and
to achieve。 This sort of discrimination； he notes； is not something limited to the
Arab Middle East； of course。 Indeed； strains of it are found in different degrees
all around the world； even in so…called advanced industrial societies。
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The Arab…Muslim world's resistance to glocalization is something that some liberal
Arab commentators are now focusing on。 Consider a May 5； 2004； article in the Saudi
English…language daily Arab News by liberal Saudi journalist Raid Qusti； titled 〃How
Long Before the First Step？〃
〃Terrorist incidents in Saudi Arabia are more or less becoming everyday news。 Every
time I hope and pray that it ends； it only seems to get worse；〃 Qusti wrote。 〃One
explanation to why all of this is happening was brought up by the editor in chief
of Al…Riyadh newspaper； Turki Al…Sudairi； on a program about determining the roots
of the terrorist acts。 He said that the people carrying out these attacks shared the
ideology of the Juhaiman movement that seized the Grand Mosque in the seventies。 They
had an ideology of accusing others of being infidels and giving themselves a free
hand to kill them； be it Westerners…who； according to them； ought to be kicked out
of the Arabian Peninsula…or the Muslim believer who does not follow their path。 They
disappeared in the eighties and nineties from the public eye and have again emerged
with their destructive ideology。 The question Al…Sudairi forgot to bring up was： What
are we Saudis going to do about it？ If we as a nation decline to look at the root
causes； as we have for the past two decades； it will only be a matter of time before
another group of people with the same ideology spring up。 Have we helped create these
monsters？ Our education system； which does not stress tolerance of other faiths…let
alone tolerance of followers of other Islamic schools of thought…is one thing that
needs to be re…evaluated from top to bottom。 Saudi culture itself and the fact that
the majority of us do not accept other lifestyles and impose our own on other people
is another。 And the fact that from fourth to 12th grade we do not teach our children
that there are other civilizations in the world and that we are part of the global
community and only stress the Islamic empires over and over is also worth
re…evaluating。〃
It is simply too easily forgotten that when it comes to economic activities； one of
the greatest virtues a country or community can have is a culture of tolerance。 When
tolerance is the norm； everyone flourishes… because tolerance breeds trust； and trust
is the foundation of innovation and entrepreneurship。 Increase the level of trust
in any group； company； or society； and only good things happen。 〃China began its
astounding
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commercial and industrial takeoff only when Mao Zedong's odiously intolerant form
of communism was scrapped in favor of what might be called totalit