the.world.is.flat-第105章
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protester was killed while attacking an Italian police jeep with a fire extinguisher。
The combination of the triple convergence； the violence at Genoa； 9/11； and tighter
security measures fractured the antiglobalization movement。 The more serious
how…we…globalize groups did not want to be in the same trench with anarchists out
to provoke a public clash with police； and after 9/11； many American labor groups
did not want to be associated with a movement that appeared to be taken over by
anti…American elements。 This became even more pronounced when in late September 2001；
three weeks after 9/11； antiglobalization leaders attempted a rerun of Genoa in the
streets of Washington； to protest the IMF and World Bank meetings there。 After 9/11；
though； the IMF and World Bank canceled their meetings； and many American protesters
shied away。 Those who did turn up in the streets of Washington turned the event into
a march against
the imminent American invasion of Afghanistan to remove Osama bin Laden and al…Qaeda。
At the same time； with the triple convergence making the Chinese； Indians； and Eastern
Europeans some of the biggest beneficiaries of globalization； it was no longer
possible to claim that this phenomenon was devastating the world's poor。 Just the
opposite： Millions of Chinese and Indians were entering the world's middle class
thanks to the flattening of the world and globalization。
So asthe how…we…globalize forces drifted away； and as the number ofThird World people
benefiting from globalization began to grow； and as America under the Bush
administration began to exercise more unilateral military power； the anti…American
element in the antiglobalization movement began to assume a much louder voice and
role。 As a result； the movement itself became both more anti…American and more unable
and unwilling to play any constructive role in shaping the global debate on how we
globalize； precisely when such a role has become even more important as the world
has gotten flatter。 As Hebrew University political theorist Yaron Ezrahi so aptly
noted； 〃The important task of enlisting the people's power to influence
globalism…making it more compassionate； fair； and compatible with human dignity…is
way too important to be wasted on crass anti…Americanism or left in the hands of only
anti…Americans。〃
There is a huge political vacuum now waiting to be filled。 There is a real role today
for a movement that could advance the agenda of how we globalize…not whether we
globalize。 The best place such a movement could start is rural India。
〃Both the Congress ＇Party＇ and its left allies would be risking India's future if
they draw the wrong conclusion from this ＇2004＇ election；〃 Pratap Bhanu Mehta； who
heads the Center for Policy Research in Delhi； wrote in The Hindu newspaper。 〃This
is not a revolt against the market； it is a protest against the state； this is not
resentment against the gains of liberalization； but a call for the state to put its
house in order through even more reform 。 。 。 The revolt against holders of power
is not a revolt of the poor against the rich： ordinary people are far less prone to
resent other people's success than intellectuals suppose。 It is rather an expression
of the fact that the reform of the state has not gone far enough。〃
This is why the most important forces righting poverty in India today； in my view；
are those NGOs righting for better local governance； using the Internet and other
modern tools of the flat world to put a spotlight on corruption； mismanagement； and
tax avoidance。 The most important； effective； and meaningful populists in the world
today are not those handing out money。 They are those with an agenda to drive reform
retail at the local level in their countries…to make it easier for the little man
or woman to register his or her land； even if they are squatters； to start a business；
no matter how small； and to get minimal justice from thelegal system。 Modern populism；
to be effective and meaningful； should be about reform retail …making globalization
workable； sustainable； and fair for more people by improving their local governance；
so that the money that has already been earmarked for the poor actually gets to them
and so that their natural entrepreneurship can get unlocked。 It is through local
government that people plug into the system and get to enjoy the benefits of the
flattening world rather than just observe them。 The average Indian villagers cannot
be likethe Indian high…tech companies and just circumvent the governmentby supplying
their own electricity； their own water resources； their own security； their own bus
system； andtheir own satellite dishes。 They need the state for that。 The market cannot
be counted on to make up for the failure of the state to deliver decent governance。
The state has to get better。 Precisely because the Indian state opted for a
globalization strategy in 1991 and abandoned fifty years of socialism…which had
brought its foreign reserves to near zero…New Delhi had reserves in 2004 of 100
billion； giving it the resources to help more of its people into the flat arena。
Ramesh Ramanathan； an Indian…born former Citibank executive who returned to India
to lead an NGO called Janaagraha； dedicated to improving local governance； is
precisely the kind of new populist I have in mind。 〃In India；〃 he said； 〃clients of
public education are sending a signal about the quality of service delivery： Whoever
can afford to opt out does so。 The same goes for health care。 Given the escalating
costs of health care； if we had a solid public health…care system； most citizens would
opt to use it； not just the poor。 Ditto for roads； highways； water supply； sanitation；
registration of births and deaths； crematoria； driver's li389
censes； and so on。 Wherever the government provides these services； it ＇should be＇
for the benefit of all citizens。 ＇But＇ in fact； in some of these； like water supply
and sanitation； the poor are actually not even getting the same basic services as
the middle class and the rich。 The challenge here is therefore universal access。〃
Getting NGOs that can collaborate on the local level to ensure that the poor get the
infrastructure and budgets to which they are entitled could have a major impact on
poverty alleviation。
So although this may sound odd coming from me； it is totally consistent with this
whole book： What the world doesn't need now is for the antiglobalization movement
to go away。 We just need it to grow up。 This movement had a lot of energy and a lot
of mobilizing capacity。 What it lacked was a coherent agenda for assisting the poor
by collaborating with them in a way that could actually help them。 The activist groups
that are helping alleviate poverty the most are those working at the local village
level in places like rural India； Africa； and China to spotlight and fight corruption
and to promote accountability； transparency； education； and property rights。 You
don't help the world's poor by dressing up in a turtle outfit and throwing a stone
through McDonald's window。 You help them by getting them the tools and institutions
to help themselves。 It may not be as sexy as protesting against world leaders in the
streets of Washington and Genoa； and getting lots of attention on CNN； but it is a
lot more important。 Just ask any Indian villager。
Collaboration in poverty alleviation is not just for NGOs。 It is also for
multinational corporations。 The rural poor in India； Africa； and China represent a
huge market； and it is possible to make money there and serve them …if companies are
ready to collaborate horizontally with the poor。 One of the most interesting examples
I have come across of this form of collaboration is a program run by Hewlett…Packard。
HP is not an NGO。 HP began with a simple question： What do poor people need most that
we could sell to them？ You cannot design this stuff in Palo Alto； you have to cocreate
with the user…customer beneficiary。 In order to answer that question； HP created a
public…private partnership with the national government in India
