Reading Response Paper # 1

Reading Response Paper #1:Should we be concerned about what happens to the countries/individuals of the “unflat” or “half-flat” world? If not, why? If so, what should be done by NGOs? Corporations? Private citizens?

Since the end of the first World War, until the start of what Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist and author of The World is Flat, calls Globalization 3.0, the United States has held itself in high esteem as the self-proclaimed (and, for the most part, rightly so) strongest nation in the world. Americans have become quite comfortable with this status, and have, in my opinion, begun slacking off, allowing many jobs to be exported, or outsourced, to other countries where the labor can be done at cheaper rates with the same, or sometimes even better, standards of quality. These jobs, going mostly to India, China and Japan, have lead to these countries’ rise on the global economic horizon, causing them to rapidly catch up to the United States. This comfortable security Americans have felt for generations is now proving dangerous, with far fewer American college students seeking degrees in the fields of Math and Science, and increased numbers seeking these degrees in other countries. The flattening of countries such as India, China and Japan has contributed to a global marketplace and the leveling of the global playing field.We know the challenge this poses to the United States, but what threat does the flattening of previously under-developed countries pose to the rest of the not (yet) flat world? What role will these countries play in a global economy, and how will globalization affect them? Why is it our job to care?First of all, it is, without doubt, the responsibility of flat countries to take an interest in the welfare of the non-flat world. Not only do the events and situations in non-developed countries affect the dealings of those living and doing business in a non-developed world, but as modernized peoples who appreciate and love our rights and freedoms, it is our duty to care about those who do not have those rights and freedoms, and do the most we can to extend those luxuries to them. We possess the ability to help these people, whether they suffer under war, genocide, disease, poverty or any other unfavorable circumstance, so why shouldn’t we? Yes, if we help to flatten these countries it will create more competition for us in the newly flat modern world, but it would be foolish of us not to realize that as globalization reaches further and further, and more of the world catches up to the standards we Americans have put on a pedestal since the end of World War I, the welfare of the global economy will become just as important, if not more important, than personal, or national economic progress, as individuals find their niches in the new global market place. By helping these non-flat and partially flat countries to globalize, giving them the potential to grow, develop and flatten, too, we create competition for ourselves, but this risk is far outweighed by the potential contribution these countries could make toward a global economy. The well being of all humanity should be at the forefront of our goals as citizens of a flat world. As Friedman says in The World is Flat, each region of the world has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is our job as a stronger region to aid other regions in developing their strengths by overcoming their weaknesses. A huge part of this is education; especially in America, where education in the fields of math and science has decreased. In general, however, education is a leading element that will aid in broad globalization. Private citizens, Non-Government Organizations and Governments alike should contribute to all of this through actions rather than blindly throwing money at countries who need to be shown the way with infrastructures such as education reform, encouraging a capitalistic free-market economy, privatizing certain state-run facilities, and regulating the environment in which much of today’s business is run to allow for individual citizens, small corporations and businesses, as well as big business to all exist on an even playing field. It is the duty of the flat world to not only help the non-flat world, but also to ensure that it is doing so in a way that is actually beneficial in the long run.

(Sorry for the late post, as I said when I emailed you the paper, Blogger was down when I went to post the assignment. Thanks for your understanding! -Samantha)