Globalization, Either You're In, or You're Out.
Quotes:
1. "You talk about participating in globalization as if it were a choice you had. Globalization isn't a choice. It's a reality. There is just one global market today, and the only way you can grow at the speed your people want to grow is by tapping into the global stock and bond markets, by seeking out multinationals to invest in your country and by selling into the global trading system what your factories produce" (Friedman 112).
2. "The challenge in this era of globalization--for countries and individuals--is to find a healthy balance between preserving a sense of identity, home and community and doing what it takes to survive within the globalization system" (Friedman 42).
3. "The world has become an increasingly interwoven place, and today, whether you are a company or a country, your threats and opportunities increasingly derive from who you are connected to" (Friedman 8).
The world today is completely different from the way it was during the Cold War. In the first half of the novel The Lexus and the Olive Tree, author Thomas L. Friedman uses imagery and symbolism to better explain the concept of globalization. Globalization is defined by Friedman as: "not just some economic fad, and it is not just a passing trend. It is an international system--the dominant international system that replaced the Cold War system after the fall of the Berlin Wall." He then continues to explain how this new system works. Where globalization is concerned there is no middle ground. You're either a part of it, or not.
Mr. Friedman has several good points in his book that could make anyone a believer in globalization. He explains his concepts in a personal way, using interesting real-life experiences to illustrate the concept of...