If you’ve read the book ‘The World is Flat’, you may have come away with the same deep sense of forboding doom that I did and certain that the author had when writing it. If it’s true that you can hear a smile over the phone, then you could see a frown through this book. It’s one big argument about why America and the rest of the developed world need to be scared. The developing world is smart, mobile and are going to take your high paying jobs. They’re going to take your children’s bright future, Mr Joe the plumber, and they’re going to flush it down the drain. Run while you still can.
Having been in Bangalore now for a week, the first thing I think of when reflecting on the book is that Mr Friedman went to a very different part of town than I went to. Certainly his conclusions would not have come immediately from what I’m seeing.
In order to accomplish the revolution of the developing world, I think you need a few things. First you need energy, and lots of it. Energy is the platform for all development. Without energy, you can’t make your computers run, your cars move or your water stations pump water.
My lights go out on a semi regular basis here in Bangalore. And we’re just going through Hubbert’s peak so energy is not about to get any easier to come by anytime soon.
Second, you require a certain passive environment which is conducive to growth and allows for businesses and people to work. This is difficult to describe but you know it when you see it. It means that you require a safe environment; people can’t be getting lynched off of a bus by an angry mob for talking to girls from another community (today’s Hindu Times paper). You can’t have religious wars or at the least, if you do, they need to be of words and very little else. You shouldn’t require body guards to stand at the foot of every door to every store. That really doesn’t work for long. And that’s exactly what I’m seeing here.
Third, you require a collective that is willing to co-operate to obtain common goals. Racism, sexism and all other “isms” is a great way to hold back business. Say what you will but preventing innovation and success based on race is a great way to waste people’s talent and to prevent the collective from moving forward to prosperity.
The developing world has so many divisions it’s hard to really start. So did the West mind you. It’s only recently that we’ve gone through some of the more difficult parts. But through them we went. It took a great amount of time and a certain amount of luck and patience but for the most part, we are through.
Computers don’t change cultures, they enable them. The internet didn’t create hate mail, it just made it easier to send. It’s hard live in peace when your neighbour hates your clan/race/religion/skin colour.
All of this isn’t to say that there isn’t progress. I’m sure there is. It’s also not to say that there isn’t a chance for improvements here. But the world is not as flat as Mr Friedman believes. It’s hateful, divided and stubborn. Getting along isn’t the norm, it’s the aberation. Harmony – or some close version to it – is a wonderful and unique asset that takes a collective of people generations to harvest and nurture. And India doesn’t have it.
It might some day. But not today.
