the.world.is.flat-第102部分

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and　all　the　girls　are　standing　there。〃　It　is　one　reason；　he　said；　that　all　Palestinian　
young　people　today　are　just　suicide　bombers　in　waiting。　He　called　them　〃martyrs　in　
waiting；〃　while　his　two　friends　nodded　in　assent。　They　warned　me　that　if　Israel　tried　
to　kill　Yasser　Arafat；　who　was　then　still　alive　（and　was　a　leader　who　knew　how　to　
stimulate　only　memories；　not　dreams）；　they　would　turn　the　whole　area　into　a　living　
〃hell。〃　To　underscore　this　point；　Motev　took　out　his　wallet　and　showed　me　a　picture　
of　Arafat。　But　what　caught　my　eye　was　the　picture　of　a　young　girl　next　to　it。　
〃Who's　that？〃　I　asked。　That　was　his　girlfriend；　he　explained；　slightly　red…faced。　
So　there　was　his　wallet…Yasser　Arafat　on　one　page；　whom　he　was　ready　to　die　for；　and　
his　girlfriend　on　the　other；　whom　he　wanted　to　live　for。　A　few　minutes　later；　one　
of　his　colleagues；　Anas　Assaf；　became　emotional。　He　was　the　only　one　in　college；　an　
engineering　student　at　Bir　Zeit　University　near　Ramallah。　After　breathing　fire　about　
also　being　willing　to　die　for　Arafat；　he　began　waxing　eloquent　about　how　much　he　wanted　
to　go　to　the　University　of　Memphis；　where　his　uncle　lived；　〃to　study　engineering。〃　
Unfortunately；　he　said；　he　could　not　get　a　visa　into　the　United　States　now。　Like　his　
colleague；　Assaf　was　ready　to　die　for　Yasser　Arafat；　but　he　wanted　to　live　for　the　
University　of　Memphis。　
These　were　good　young　men；　not　terrorists。　But　their　role　models　were　all　angry　men；　
and　these　young　men　spent　a　lot　of　their　time　imagining　how　to　unleash　their　anger；　
not　realizing　their　potential。　Abraham　George；　by　contrast；　produced　a　different　
context　and　a　different　set　of　teacher　role　models　for　those　untouchable　children　
in　his　school；　and　together　they　planted　in　his　students　the　seeds　of　a　very　different　
imagination。　We　must　have　more　Abraham　Georges…everywhere…by　the　thousands：　people　
who　gaze　upon　a　classroom　of　untouchable　kids　and　
468　
not　only　see　the　greatness　in　each　of　them　but；　more　important；　get　them　to　see　the　
greatness　in　themselves　while　endowing　them　with　the　tools　to　bring　that　out。　
After　our　little　typing　race　at　the　Shanti　Bhavan　school；　I　went　around　the　classroom　
and　asked　all　the　children…most　of　whom　had　been　in　school；　and　out　of　a　life　of　open　


sewers；　for　only　three　years…what　they　wanted　to　be　when　they　grew　up。　These　were　
eight…year…old　Indian　kids　whose　parents　were　untouchables。　It　was　one　of　the　most　
moving　experiences　of　my　life。　Their　answers　were　as　follows：　〃an　astronaut；〃　〃a　
doctor；〃　〃a　pediatrician；〃　〃a　poetess；〃　〃physics　and　chemistry；〃　〃a　scientist　and　
an　astronaut；〃　〃a　surgeon；〃　〃a　detective；〃　〃an　author。〃　
All　dreamers　in　action…not　martyrs　in　waiting。　
Let　me　close　with　one　last　point。　My　own　daughter　went　off　to　college　in　the　fall　
of　2004；　and　my　wife　and　I　dropped　her　off　on　a　warm　September　day。　The　sun　was　shining。　
Our　daughter　was　full　of　excitement。　But　I　can　honestly　say　it　was　one　of　the　saddest　
days　of　my　life。　And　it　wasn't　just　the　
dad…and…mom…dropping…their…eldest…child…off…at…school　thing。　No；　something　else　
bothered　me。　It　was　the　sense　that　I　was　dropping　my　daughter　off　into　a　world　that　
was　so　much　more　dangerous　than　the　one　she　had　been　born　into。　I　felt　like　I　could　
still　promise　my　daughter　her　bedroom　back；　but　I　couldn't　promise　her　the　world…not　
in　the　carefree　way　that　I　had　explored　it　when　I　was　her　age。　That　really　bothered　
me。　Still　does。　
The　flattening　of　the　world；　as　I　have　tried　to　demonstrate　in　this　book；　has　presented　
us　with　new　opportunities；　new　challenges；　new　partners　but　also；　alas；　new　dangers；　
particularly　as　Americans。　It　is　imperative　that　we　find　the　right　balance　among　all　
of　these。　It　is　imperative　that　we　be　the　best　global　citizens　that　we　can　be…because　
in　a　flat　world；　if　you　don't　visit　a　bad　neighborhood；　it　might　visit　you。　And　it　
is　imperative　that　while　we　remain　vigilant　to　the　new　threats；　we　do　not　let　them　
paralyze　us。　Most　of　all；　though；　it　is　imperative　that　we　nurture　more　people　with　
the　imaginations　of　Abraham　George　and　Fadi　Ghandour。　The　more　people　with　the　
imagination　of　11/9；　the　better　

chance　we　have　of　staving　off　another　9/11。1　refuse　to　settle　for　a　world　that　gets　
smaller　in　the　wrong　sense；　in　the　sense　that　there　are　fewer　and　fewer　places　an　
American　can　go　without　a　second　thought　and　fewer　and　fewer　foreigners　feeling　
comfortable　about　coming　to　America。　
To　put　it　another　way；　the　two　greatest　dangers　we　Americans　face　are　an　excess　of　
protectionism…excessive　fears　of　another　9/11　that　prompt　us　to　wall　ourselves　in；　
in　search　of　personal　security…and　excessive　fears　of　competing　in　a　world　of　11/9　
that　prompt　us　to　wall　ourselves　off；　in　search　of　economic　security。　Both　would　be　
a　disaster　for　us　and　for　the　world。　Yes；　economic　competition　in　the　flat　world　will　
be　more　equal　and　more　intense。　We　Americans　will　have　to　work　harder；　run　faster；　
and　become　smarter　to　make　sure　we　get　our　share。　But　let　us　not　underestimate　our　
strengths　or　the　innovation　that　could　explode　from　the　flat　world　when　we　really　
do　connect　all　of　the　knowledge　centers　together。　On　such　a　flat　earth；　the　most　
important　attribute　you　can　have　is　creative　imagination…the　ability　to　be　the　first　
on　your　block　to　figure　out　how　all　these　enabling　tools　can　be　put　together　in　new　
and　exciting　ways　to　create　products；　communities；　opportunities；　and　profits。　That　
has　always　been　America's　strength；　because　America　was；　and　for　now　still　is；　the　
world's　greatest　dream　machine。　


I　cannot　tell　any　other　society　or　culture　what　to　say　to　its　own　children；　but　I　
can　tell　you　what　I　say　to　my　own：　The　world　is　being　flattened。　I　didn't　start　it　
and　you　can't　stop　it；　except　at　a　great　cost　to　human　development　and　your　own　future。　
But　we　can　manage　it；　for　better　or　for　worse。　If　it　is　to　be　for　better；　not　for　
worse；　then　you　and　your　generation　must　not　live　in　fear　of　either　the　terrorists　
or　of　tomorrow；　of　either　al…Qaeda　or　of　Infosys。　You　can　flourish　in　this　flat　world；　
but　it　does　take　the　right　imagination　and　the　right　motivation。　While　your　lives　
have　been　powerfully　shaped　by　9/11；　the　world　needs　you　to　be　forever　the　generation　
of　11/9…the　generation　of　strategic　optimists；　the　generation　with　more　dreams　than　
memories；　the　generation　that　wakes　up　each　morning　and　not　only　imagines　that　things　
can　be　better　but　also　acts　on　that　imagination　every　day。　

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS　

In　1999　I　published　a　book　on　globalization　called　The　Lexus　and　the　Olive　Tree。　The　
phenomenon　we　call　globalization　was　just　taking　off　then；　and　The　Lexus　and　the　Olive　
Tree　was　one　of　the　early　attempts　to　put　a　frame　around　it。　This　book　is　not　meant　
to　replace　The　Lexus　and　the　Olive　Tree；　but　rather　to　build　on　it　and　push　the　
arguments　forward　as　the　world　has　evolved。　
I　am　deeply　grateful　to　the　publisher　of　The　New　York　Times　and　chairman　of　the　New　
York　Times　Company；　Arthur　Sulzberger　Jr。；　for　granting　me　a　leave　of　absence　to　be　
able　to　undertake　this　book；　and　to　Gail　Collins；　editorial　page　editor　of　The　New　
York　Times；　for　supporting　that　leave　and　this　whole　project。　It　is　a　privilege　to　
work　for　such　a　great　newspaper。　It　was　Arthur　and　Gail　who　pushed　me　to　try　my　hand　
at　documentaries　for　the　Discovery　Times　Channel；　which　took　me　to　India　and　
stimulated　this　whole　book。　Thanks　in　that　regard　also　go　to　Billy　Campbell　of　the　
Discovery　Channel　for　his　enthusiastic　backing　of　that　Indian　documentary；　and　to　
Ken　Levis；　Ann　Deny；　and　Stephen　Reverand　for　helping　to　bring　it　off。　Without　
Discovery　the　show　would　not　have　happened。　
I　never　could　have　written　this　book；　though；　without　some　wonderful　tutors　from　the　
worlds　of　technology；　business；　and　politics。　A　few　individuals　must　be　singled　out　
for　particular　thanks。　I　never　would　have　broken　the　code　of　the　flat　world　without　
the　help　of　Nandan　Nilekani；　CEO　of　the　Indian　technology　company　Infosys；　who　was　
the　first　to　point　out　to　me　how　the　playing　field　was　being　leveled。　Vivek　Paul；　
pres…　

ident　of　the　Indian　technology　company　Wipro；　really　took　me　inside　the　business　of　
the　flat　world　and　deciphered　it　all　for　me…time　and　time　again。　Joel　Cawley；　the　
head　of　IBM's　strategic　planning　team；　helped　me　connect　so　many　of　the　dots　between　
technology　and　business　and　politics　on　Planet　Flat…connections　I　never　would　have　
made　without　him。　Craig　Mundie；　chief　technology　officer　of　Microsoft；　walked　me　
through　the　technological　evolutions　that　made　the　flat　world　possible　and　helped　


ensure　that　in　writing　about　them　I　would　not　fall　flat　on　my　face。　He　was　a　tireless　
and　demanding　tutor。　Paul　Romer；　the　Stanford　University　economist　who　has　done　so　
much　good　work　on　the　new　economy；　took　the　time　to　read　the　book　in　draft　and　brought　
both　his　humanity　and　his　intellect　to　several　chapters。　Marc　Andreessen；　one　of　the　
cofounders　of　Netscape；　Michael　Dell　of　Dell　Inc。；　Sir　John　Rose；　chairman　of　
Rolls…Royce；　and　Bill　Gates　of　Microsoft　were　very　generous　in　commenting　on　certain　
sections。　My　inventor　friend　Dan　Simpkins　was　enormously　helpful　in　walking　this　
novice　through　his　complex　universe。　Michael　Sandel's　always　challenging　questions　
stimulated　me　to　write　a　whole　chapter…〃The　Great　Sorting　Out。〃　And　Yaron　Ezrahi；　
for　the　fourth　book　in　a　row；　let　me　bounce　countless　ideas　off　his　razor…sharp　mind。　
The　same　was　true　for　David　Rothkopf。　None　of　them　is　responsible　for　any　mistakes；　
only　for　insights。　I　am　truly　in　their　debt。　
So　many　other　people　shared　with　me　their　valuable　time　and　commented　on　different　
parts　of　this　book。　I　want　to　thank　in　particular　Allen　Adamson；　Graham　Allison；　Alex　
and　Jocelyn　Attal；　Jim　Barksdale；　Craig　Barrett；　Brian　Behlendorf；　Katie　Belding；　
Jagdish　Bhagwati；　Sergey　Brin；　Brill　Brody；　Mitchell　Caplan；　Bill　Carrico；　John　
Chambers；　Nayan　Chanda；　Alan　Cohen；　Maureen　Conway；　Lamees　El…Hadidy；　Rahm　Emanuel；　
Mike　Eskew；　Judy　Estrin；　Diana　Farrell；　Joel　Finkelstein；　Carly　Fiorina；　Frank　
Fukuyama；　Jeff　Garten；　Fadi　Ghandour；　Bill　Greer；　Jill　Greer；　Ken　Greer；　Promod