“Technology not only transforms societies, but it also changes social interactions and relationships between people”. In the current world technology has developed a huge influence on our society. A number of the consequences have contributed either positive or negative.
In chapter 5, Friedman argues that the free trade will affect America in an ever flattening world. He quotes that the world will run at optimal level and Americans will flourish on the idea of free trade as the world flattens. Friedman in his writing of chapter 5 analyses the effects of erecting the walls. He states that with the flattening world, a system of free trade will thrive America’s international trade. He states that the market for products and idea driven workers will be endless.
The flattening of the world has resulted to a global network of commerce and communication; however there has been a disadvantage to this establishment. The functions and jobs that are digitized and outsourced have severe affects on the population of the preceding recruits. The effect of the middle world is now eliminating Most of the middle class.
Even though the flattening world has digitized, automated and outsourced many diverse middle class jobs, it has as well created many prospects within the employment sector by necessitating for dissimilar skills. The demand for diverse skills has resulted to new middle class jobs that help uphold the flattened world hence creation of a secure situation from the constant strength of digitizing and outsourcing.
1) Wouldn’t Americans be better off if the government had erected some walls and banned some outsourcing and offshoring?
The way the US economy is affected by outsourcing is a matter of great debate. Critics argue that outsourcing helps in striping many Americans of jobs they would have performed mostly skilled laborers and semi-skilled laborers. Most people argue that offering jobs to workers in countries that are less developed helps in improving Americas trade for its products and endorse political relationship. If the government banned some outsourcing, it would not hire many Americans hence resulting in increase of prices on products for US consumers.
2) What are the main counterarguments between free-trade/outsourcing advocates and the protectionists /anti-outsourcing school of thought?
Anti-outsourcing school argues that in a flat world, goods and services are tradable. Because of this change, America could result in decline in their living standards and economic power unless they move to officially protect certain jobs from overseas competition.
The counterargument from free-trade/outsourcing believes that, the dip is not permanent as long as the overall pie remain to grow hence invoking the labor theory– the believe that there is a pool of labor in the world and that there won't be any more jobs to go around once the pool is globed up by either Japanese, Indians or Americans. If there exist a pool of labor now, and then Indians offer to work for less, we will have less piece of the lump and they will have bigger, or so this argument goes.
3) What is meant by making yourself untouchable? Does this have anything to do with the new middle? Do you consider yourself as ‘untouchable’?
The untouchable refers to those individuals whose job cannot be outsourced. Friedman argues that the middle class fit into the untouchable since their job cannot be fungible. I am untouchable since my job has to be done in a specific location since it involved personalized contact with the customer. My wages are also determined by the supply and demand forces
4) Do you fall into one of the three broad categories he talks about? What affect does this have on your chose of profession in the future, or your current job?
The three broad categories are “special,”, “anchored,” and “really adaptable.”. I fall in the localized or anchored category.. This affects my profession because it is hard to outsource because there is too much computer jagon and specialists’ knowledge is involved.
The new middlers are identified by a general list of categories. Do you agree or disagree with these groupings? What category would you want to fall into? Do you feel have the required skill sets they speak about?
The middlers fall into eight categories that structure the new middler in a flat world. I fall into The Great Leveragers a category which involves combining the best of what a human and a computer can do and regularly incorporate new innovative practices back into the computer to make a complete the system. I feel I posses the required skills since I am well versed with knowledge in the field of programming.
Reference
Thomas, F. (2007) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Globalized World in the 21st Century- Picado publishers
