Summary Of It's A Flat World After All

With the dynamism of the progress that has been made in the last several decades in international development through technology, accessibility, and standards of living, it is easy to assume that it applies to everywhere it’s needed in a “globalized” world. The argument that this progress, and the tendency of globalization, has “flattened” the world by leveling the playing field of access to information, markets, and capital was developed by Friedman in It’s a Flat World After All. While the data supports that many have been lifted out of poverty and that the world is more accessible than it once was, his argument is one that is “one-size-fits-all” and ignores the reality of regional disparities that result in leaving many behind on the trail …show more content…
Friedman argues that the Cold-War era of East and West division and global North and South distinctions are becoming increasingly irrelevant, thanks to integration and development. A hypothetical scenario can demonstrate the evolution of the geography of opportunity. According to Friedman, if thirty years ago, one had the choice of being an average student living in Boston, or a genius living in Beijing, one would have better luck being the average student in Boston simply due to the ability to access to better education, technology, and global connections. (Friedman) However, with the introduction of what he calls “flatteners,” such as offshoring, open-sourcing (development through collaboration) and informing, this has enhanced opportunities for once economically-stagnant countries such as China and India to engage in the global market. This catalyzes the often-repeated neoliberal miracle story: this involvement in the global market economy lifted countless “third-world” residents out of poverty with an increase in income, and access to information, technology, and education has built up the brains of these populations, further spearheading their home country’s development. This …show more content…
These economic geographies shape the world into peaks, hills, and valleys. The “peaks” are the cities that are hubs of economic dynamism and innovation. They concentrate jobs, opportunities, information, and most importantly, wealth; the cities of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston have an economy that is larger than China. (Florida) Next are the manufacturing “hills” that support the endeavors of world’s peaks. With the forces of competition, sparked by globalization, that eliminate those with high labor and operating costs as well as lack of exploitation of comparative advantage, this feature of the global economy includes those who have been “left behind” by globalization. They are in the company with the “valleys” of the world- the parts with little, if any, global connection. One can observe all of the geographies within India: while Bangalore, New Delhi, and Bombay are exhibiting a concentration of equalizing innovation and concentration, there is still 29.8% of Indians living under the poverty line. (Biswas) These regional disparities are fueling political tensions and demonstrating the “spikening” forces of

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