The World Is Flat - Moudle 9

From beginning to end the construction of a personally ordered Dell laptop computer requires so much more than meet s the eye. Orders are sent to the one of Dell’s six different factories around the world. The factories are located in Ireland, China, Brazil, Tennessee, Texas and Malaysia.  Each factory is surrounded by logistic centers that are located in the perimeter of the factory. The challenge of these supplier logistic centers (SLCs) is to be able to keep required material on hand to fill a myriad of orders. The laptop can be ordered online, in a store or by phone. Then designed by engineers at another site. “This global teamwork brings an added benefit – a globally distributed virtually twenty-four-hour-per-day development cycle.” (pg. 582) This amazing coordination and synchronization from order to the delivery at someone’s home is one of the many wonders produced at the hand of the “flat world”

Another concept that has been honed and perfected in our newly “flat world” is the ability of the terrorist network, Al Qaeda, to not only propagate their concepts but they are able to grow and thrive thanks to the characteristics of our “flat world”. Individual cells of the Al Qaeda network may be physically independent. They may be required to supply their own physical needs, but one thing that a terrorist network of this magnitude always needs is more people that are willing to sacrifice their lives for a cause. The internet has allowed “the small to act big, and the way it enables small acts – the killing of a few people- to have big effects.” (Page 597)  What the publicity that the internet provides to these small acts is that it allows “terrorists to transmit their terror”. The internet is an amazing tool of news and information, and at the hand of everyone, including terrorists, they are able to propagate their cause and their ideas and information is accessible by others of like mind with great ease.

Thomas Friedman profoundly pinpoints one of the problems of having great money. In his chapter portion regarding “The Curse of Oil” he explains that as long as individuals, families and dictators rule countries that are rich in oil are allowed to depend on their oil for sustenance. These rulers never have to communicate or rely on the citizens of their country so “the relationship between ruler and ruled is highly distorted.” (pg 626)  Mr. Friedman suggests that the reason that these countries often do not have strong institutions is because they have never had to tap interest and energy from the actual people of their society. The concept that Muslim countries make up about 20% of the world  population while only accounting for 4%of the worlds trade is an interesting viewpoint relating their inactivity in trade is unequivocal to their population.

OPINION

I had strong negative feelings regarding the book, The World is Flat. My first opinions were skeptical at best, but as I read, and Thomas Friedman was given time and as he adequately explained his position, I may not have come to believe all of his opinions, but I definitely do see how and where his ideas come from. His mind is a remarkable mind, and I believe that all people who plan to work and grow in our new “Flat World” I am grateful for the opportunity that I would never have provided for myself, but that was thrust upon me. I believe that I will always view the world and business in this world differently after reading this book.