ROUND AND ROUND IT GOES...WHERE IT FLATTENS...NOBODY KNOWS
OK, so I'm more in New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's camp on a lot of issues than not, and I've referred to his columns a number of times on this site in the past. But I also love well-thought out, cogently articulated counter-points to any popular set of ideas.
Back in May I posted on a good counter-point to Mr. Friedman's "The World is Flat" argument, in the form of a an op-ed piece by Ralph Peters, titled "The Myths of Globalization". I didn't agree with a number of Mr. Peters points, but thought he makes some solid points worth thinking about, especially in the utterly slow-changing pace of human nature.
It is in the same vein that I post yet another counter-point to Mr. Friedman's book, this time in the form of a notable book review of Mr. Friedman's work by John Gray for the New York Review of Books, titled of course, "The World is Round".
In it, Mr. Gray provocatively notes:
The centrally planned economies that were constructed to embody Marx's vision of communism have nearly all been swept away, and the mass political movements that Marxism once inspired are no more. Yet Marx's view of globalization lives on, and nowhere more vigorously than in the writings of Thomas Friedman. Like Marx, Friedman believe that globalization is in the end compatible with only one economic system; and like Marx he believes that this system enables humanity to leave war, tyranny, and poverty behind.
Pretty strong fighting words, huh?
And then, Mr. Gray peels off the "Globalization" layer, to reveal what he's really attacking, a subject near and dear to my heart (the items in parenthesis are mine, for clarification):
In fact they (Marx and Friedman) belong to the same style of thinking, and share many of the same disabling limitations. For Marxists and neoliberals (i.e., Friedman) alike it is technological advance that fuels economic development, and economic forces that shape society. Politics and culture are secondary phenomena, sometimes capable of retarding human progress; but in the last analysis they cannot prevail against advancing technology and growing productivity.
So this is a piece against Technological Determinism...or is it?
As one goes through the review, it becomes clear that Mr. Gray is a believer in the flat world concept after all. It's just that he feels that it's important to also highlight some of the other forces that have both helped and hindered the flattening of the world, and will continue to do so...
Not the least of which is the role nationalism (in all its forms) will play in what is just another battle caused by the on-going shift of wealth and power.
Recommended, especially for medium-light Sunday reading.
If at the end of this review, your appetite is whetted for a better understanding of the geopolitical forces impacting globalization, I would also recommend "The Pentagon's New Map" by Thomas P.M. Barnett, who also has an interesting blog.
If you're more in the mood for an article rather than a book, you should look at this Esquire article by Mr. Barnett, which ultimately lead to the book, and pretty much summarise the book. The book however does provide an insider's anecdotal views on how the Pentagon decision making process works, which by itself is worth the price of admission.
Although the book, by a career military consultant, deals with the evolution of the Pentagon, it could just as well be titled "Globalization's New Map" for the core ideas it offers. Also recommended, in book or article form.
Have a great Sunday.
Interesting posts...love the geopolitical coverage. I was just in Africa (Tanzania). Our tour operator said that 90-95% of his business now comes in via the Web. He invested in a small Sony Vaio so he could do business while traveling.
Posted by: Raghav Gupta | Sunday, July 24, 2005 at 10:22 PM