“The world is flat,” reports Thomas Friedman, a Pulitzer-prize winning opinion columnist and foreign correspondent for the New York Times. What could cause Friedman, a well-respected, mild-mannered reporter, to make such a seemingly rash statement?
Technology and the information age, undersea fiber optic cables, open source encoding, wireless access and Voice over Internet enable the unfettered exchange of intellectual capital to all corners of the world. Unfettered exchange, or free trade, creates tremendous opportunities for improving the products we purchase (and the ways you purchase those products), the software we use, and our way of life.
However, unfettered exchange means that there will be unfettered competition. “The playing field is being leveled,” declares Nandan Nilekani, the CEO of Infosys Technologies, one of the largest software firms in India. Jobs that Americans currently hold are no longer secure. If an Indian software engineer can do what an American software engineer can do, and do it cheaper, firms will hire the Indian engineer to program in order to stay competitive.
Unfettered exchange can provide enormous benefits to mankind. However, Americans risk being left behind the rest of the world if we don’t face up to the challenges we face in this leveled, indeed flat world.
The first problem: Americans may no longer be competitive. Several studies assert American students lag far behind the rest of the world when it comes to our preparation in literacy, mathematics and the natural sciences.
The second problem: Americans have an entitlement mentality. Americans believe that they are entitled to a job. If Americans don’t have jobs, it must be the fault of big business or the government. An excellent example of this mentality is embodied by CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs. The basic assumption behind Dobbs’ reporting is that Americans are entitled to jobs. That assumption, that mindset, is unrealistic in the world we live in today, for reasons too complex to articulate in this small article.
The third problem: Americans whine. When an instructor assigns homework, students complain that they already have two exams and a ten-page paper to write. When jobs are outsourced, Americans whine for Congress to pass a law protecting American jobs, however unreasonable and futile such a measure could be.
First, Americans must realize that they are no longer entitled to employment. Americans must realize that they will have to do their jobs more effectively, or find something that they are uniquely qualified to do. Americans must develop unique talents that will allow them to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
Second, for America to stay competitive, education must improve. Students must be better prepared to deal with competition from the rest of the world. Instead of worrying about the self-esteem of students, schools must prepare students for the stark reality of the flat world. Schools must demand more of students, just as employers will demand more of employees. Build real self-esteem in students by demanding hard work of them, and then reward them for that work. Americans have to realize that their jobs are no longer secure.
Finally, individuals must take responsibility. Parents must take responsibility for their child’s education. Parents must get involved in their child’s school. Parents must ensure that their child does the work necessary to succeed academically. If the school their child attends is dysfunctional, then parents should be allowed to take their child out of that school. This is one area where legislation can be a useful tool.
We live in an interconnected world. Such a world provides unlimited potential for more and more individuals to express their talents, abilities, and ideas. This world of unfettered exchange means that we live in a world of unfettered competition, and that means that Americans must discard old notions and assumptions and realize this fact. Individuals must take responsibility for self-improvement in this flat world.
