UNIT 1

‘Forces That Flattened The World’

In order to distinguish between Globalization 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0- according to Friedman, it would be helpful to take a step back and analogize it.  Although Friedman is talking about technology and the course it has taken to get to from Globalization 1.0 to Globalization 3.0 we can liken it to a theme park.  Let’s say an amusement park was built a mere three blocks away from your home.  You, your family, and friends who also lived nearby would most likely attend the theme park quite often while those who lived in a neighboring state or even the next town over would attend very few times, if at all.  It’s all based on location and convenience.  This can be compared to Globalization 1.0.  Technology was only available to the country as a whole. To put it simply, the idea of the Internet was only known by a gradually growing group of individuals.

Globalization 2.0 expands further outward.  To continue with our amusement park analogy:  Let’s say the opening of the theme park near your home was a huge success, so much so that they decide to build one in every state in America.  The experience of riding a thrilling rollercoaster is becoming more available, just as the experience of being connected to the far reaches of the world became more available to companies rather than just the massive government. 

Finally, every individual in the country has access to an amusement park due to more and more popping up and advances in transportation.  Not only are there more, but the cost to participate is less.  This is exactly what happened in Globalization 3.0.  Suddenly that which was a far distant idea and only available to large companies could be brought into a single home and sit on the office desk.  

Friedman continues by discussing the impact the Berlin Wall had not just on Berlin and the surrounding countries, but also on the world as a whole.  Before the fall of the Berlin Wall there was a physical and figurative separation.  Friedman says, “…the Berlin Wall was not only blocking our way; it was blocking our sight - our ability to think about the world as a single market, a single ecosystem, and a single community.”  We no longer had to be separated into ‘policies’, such as the ‘Western Policy’ or the ‘Eastern Policy’.  They could be made into a ‘global policy’ (Friedman 54).  Friedman celebrates the fall of the wall simply because of the way it swung open the door for the world to view, work together, and most importantly, learn from one another.

The second flattener that Friedman discusses is Netscape, or as he refers to it, 8/9 (the date Netscape went public in 1995).  Considering how influential this event is it is amazing how very few people know about it.  As Friedman puts it, “It helped make the Internet truly interoperable.” (Friedman 66)  Netscape, as it was further developed, allowed scientists to communicate with one another no matter what system they were on.  It is also important to recognize the impact competition had on the development of Netscape, Microsoft, Windows, etc. Because these companies were getting started around the same time they pushed one another. They eventually joined together and allowed users to enjoy the options within the internet, rather than fester over how to first get on the Internet.  Netscape allowed people from all over the world to communicate.  That is its significance.  We, as humans are ‘programmed’ to want to communicate and be in the know.  Because of the genius invention of Netscape this was all made possible.