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censors were blocking SMS messages on cell phones that contained any reference to
Tiananmen Square or even the numbers 6 and 4。 So if you happened to be dialing the
phone number 664…6464； or sending a message in which you told someone you would meet
at 6 p。m。 on the 4th floor； the Chinese censors blocked it using their jamming
technology。
Mark Steyn； writing in the National Review （October 25； 2004）； related a story from
the London Arabic newspaper paper Al…Quds al…Arabi about a panic that broke out in
Khartoum； Sudan； after a crazy rumor swept the city； claiming that if an infidel shook
a man's hand； that man could lose his manhood。 〃What struck me about the story；〃 wrote
Steyn； 〃was a detail： The hysteria was spread by cell phones and text messaging。 Think
about that： You can own a cell phone yet still believe a foreigner's handshake can
melt away your penis。 What happens when that kind of technologically advanced
primitivism advances beyond text messaging？〃
This is not a chapter about cell phones； so why do I raise these stories？ Because
ever since I began writing about globalization； I've been challenged by critics along
one particular line： 〃Isn't there a certain technological determinism to your
argument？ To listen to you； Friedman； there
are these ten flatteners； they are converging and flattening the earth； and there
is nothing that people can do but bow to them and join the parade。 And after a
transition； everyone will get richer and smarter and it will all be fine。 But you're
wrong； because the history of the world suggests that ideological alternatives； and
power alternatives； have always arisen to any system； and globalization will be no
different。〃
This is a legitimate question； solet me try to answer it directly： I am a technological
determinist！ Guilty as charged。
I believe that capabilities create intentions。 If we create an Internet where people
can open an online store and have global suppliers； global customers； and global
competitors； they will open that online store or bank or bookshop。 If we create work
flow platforms that allow companies to disaggregate any job and source it to the
knowledge center anywhere in the world that can perform that task most efficiently
at the lowest cost； companies will do that sort of outsourcing。 If we create cell
phones with cameras in them； people will use them for all sorts of tasks； from cheating
on tests to calling Grandma in her nursing home on her ninetieth birthday from the
top of a mountain in New Zealand。 The history of economic development teaches this
over and over： If you can do it； you must do it； otherwise your competitors will…and
as this book has tried to demonstrate； there is a whole new universe of things that
companies； countries； and individuals can and must do to thrive in a flat world。
But while I am a technological determinist； I am not a historical determinist。 There
is absolutely no guarantee that everyone will use these new technologies； or the
triple convergence； for the benefit of themselves； their countries； or humanity。
These are just technologies。 Using them does not make you modern； smart； moral； wise；
fair； or decent。 It just makes you able to communicate； compete； and collaborate
farther and faster。 In the absence of a world…destabilizing war； every one of these
technologies will become cheaper； lighter； smaller and more personal； mobile； digital；
and virtual。 Therefore； more and more people will find more and more ways to use them。
We can only hope that more people in more places will use them to create； collaborate；
and grow their living standards； not the opposite。 But it doesn't have to happen。
To put it another way； I don't know how the flattening of the world will come out。
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Indeed； this is the point in the book where I have to make a confession： I know that
the world is not flat。
Yes； you read me right： I know that the world is not flat。 Don't worry。 I know。
I am certain； though； that the world has been shrinking and flattening for some time
now； and that process has quickened dramatically in recent years。 Half the world today
is directly or indirectly participating in the flattening process or feeling its
effects。 I have engaged in literary license in titling this book The World Is Flat
to draw attention to this flattening and its quickening pace because I think it is
the single most important trend in the world today。
But I am equally certain that it is not historically inevitable that the rest of the
world will become flat or that the already flat parts of the world won't get
unflattened by war； economic disruption； or politics。 There are hundreds of millions
of people on this planet who have been left behind by the flattening process or feel
overwhelmed by it； and some of them have enough access to the flattening tools to
use them against the system； not on its behalf。 How the flattening could go wrong
is the subject of this chapter； and I approach it by trying to answer the following
questions： What are the biggest constituencies； forces； or problems impeding this
flattening process； and how might we collaborate better to overcome them？
Too Sick
I once heard Jerry Yang； the cofounder of Yahoo！； quote a senior Chinese government
official as saying； 〃Where people have hope； you have a middle class。〃 I think this
is a very useful insight。 The existence of large； stable middle classes around the
world is crucial to geopolitical stability； but middle class is a state of mind； not
a state of income。 That's why a majority of Americans always describe themselves as
〃middle class；〃 even though by income statistics some of them wouldn't be considered
as such。 〃Middle class〃 is another way of describing people
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who believe that they have a pathway out of poverty or lower…income status toward
a higher standard of living and a better future for their kids。 You can be in the
middle class in your head whether you make 2 a day or 200； if you believe in social
mobility…that your kids have a chance to live better than you do…and that hard work
and playing by the rules of your society will get you where you want to go。
In many ways； the line between those who are in the flat world and those who are not
is this line of hope。 The good news in India and China and the countries of the former
Soviet Empire today is that； with all their flaws and internal contradictions； these
countries are now home to hundreds of millions of people who are hopeful enough to
be middle class。 The bad news in Africa today； as well as rural India； China； Latin
America； and plenty of dark corners of the developed world； is that there are hundreds
of millions of people who have no hope and therefore no chance of making it into the
middle class。 They have no hope for two reasons： Either they are too sick； or their
local governments are too broken for them to believe they have a pathway forward。
The first group； those who are too sick； are those whose lives are stalked every day
by HIV…AIDS； malaria； TB； and polio； and who do not even enjoy steady electricity
or potable water。 Many of these people live in shockingly close proximity with the
flat world。 While in Bangalore I visited an experimental school； Shanti Bhavan； or
〃Haven of Peace。〃 It is located near the village of Baliganapalli； in Tamil Nadu
Province； about an hour's drive from downtown Bangalore's glass…and…steel high…tech
centers…one of which is aptly called 〃The Golden Enclave。〃 On the drive there； the
school's principal； Lalita Law； an intense； razor…sharp Indian Christian； explained
to me； with barely controlled rage in her voice； that the school has 160 children；
whose parents are all untouchables from the nearby village。
〃These kids； their parents are ragpickers； coolies； and quarry laborers；〃 she said
as we bounced along in a jeep on the potholed roads to the school。 〃They come from
homes below the poverty line； and from the lowest caste； the untouchables； who are
supposed to be fulfilling their destiny and left where they are。 We get these children
at ages four and five。 They don't know what it is to have a drink of clean water。
They are
used to drinking filthy gutter water； if they are lucky enough to have a gutter near
where they live。 They have never seen a toilet； they don't have baths。 。 。 They don't
even have proper scraps of clothing。 We have to start by socializing them。 When we
first get them they run out and urinate and defecate wherever they want。 ＇At first＇
we don't make them sleep on beds； because it is a culture shock。〃
I was typing frantically in the back of the jeep on my laptop to keep up with her
scalding monologue about village life。
〃This 'India Shining' thing ＇the slogan of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party； BJP；
in the 2004 election＇ irritates people like us；〃 she added。 'You have to come to the
rural villages and see whether India is shining； and you look into a child's face
and see whether India is shining。 India is shining okay for the glossy magazines；
but if you just go outside Bangalore you will see that everything about India shining
is r