the.world.is.flat-第72章

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to　stop　the　flow　of　Indian　labor；　you　would　have　major　software　systems　that　would　
have　nobody　who　knew　what　was　going　on。　It　is　unfortunate　that　many　management　
positions　in　IT　are　filled　with　non…technical　managers　who　may　not　be　fully　aware　
of　their　exposure　。　。　。　I'm　an　expert　in　information　systems；　not　economics；　but　I　
know　a　high…paying　job　requires　one　be　able　to　produce　something　of　high　value。　The　
economy　is　producing　the　jobs　both　at　the　high　end　and　low　end；　but　increasingly　the
high…end　jobs　are　out　of　reach　of　many。　Low　education　means　low…paying　jobs；　plain　
and　simple；　and　this　is　where　more　and　more　Americans　are　finding　themselves。　Many　
Americans　can't　believe　they　aren't　qualified　for　high…paying　jobs。　I　call　this　the　
〃American　Idol　problem。〃　If　you've　ever　seen　the　reaction　of　contestants　when　Simon
Cowell　tells　them　they　have　no　talent；　they　look　at　him　in　total　disbelief。　I'm　just
hoping　someday　I'm　not　given　such　a　rude　awakening。
In　the　winter　of　2004　I　had　tea　in　Tokyo　with　Richard　C。　Koo；　chief　economist　for
the　Nomura　Research　Institute。　I　tested　out　on　Richard　my　〃coefficient　of　flatness〃：
the　notion　that　the　flatter　one's　country　is…that　is；　the　fewer　natural　resources　
it　has…the　better　off　it　will　be　in　a　flat　world。　The　ideal　country　in　a　flat　world　
is　the　one　with　no　natural　resources；　because　countries　with　no　natural　resources　
tend　to　dig　inside　themselves。　They　try　to　tap　the　energy；　entrepreneurship；
creativity；　and　intelligence　of　their　own　people…men　and　women…rather　than　drill


an　oil　well。　Taiwan　is　a　barren　rock　in　a　typhoon…laden　sea；　with　virtually　no　natural　
resources…nothing　but　the　energy；　ambition；　and　talent　of　its　own　people…and　today　
it　has　the　third…largest　financial　reserves　in　the　world。　The　success　of　Hong　Kong；
Japan；　South　Korea；　and　coastal　China　can　all　be　traced　to　a　similar　flatness。
〃I　am　a　Taiwanese…American　with　a　father　from　Taiwan　and　with　a　Japanese　mother；〃　
Koo　told　me。　〃I　was　bom　in　Japan　and　went　to　Japanese　elementary　school　and　then　moved
to　the　States。　There　is　a　saying　in　China　that　whatever　you　put　in　your　head　and　your
stomach；　no　one　can　take　away　from　you。　In　this　whole　region；　that　is　in　the　DNA。
You　just　have　to　study　hard　and　move　forward。　I　was　told　relatively　early　by　myteachers；
'We　can　never　live　like　Americans　and　Canadians。　We　have　no　resources。　We　have　to　
study　hard；　work　hard；　and　export　hard。'〃
A　few　weeks　later　I　had　breakfast　in　Washington　with　P。V。　Kannan；　CEO　of　24/7　Customer。　
When　it　comes　to　the　flat　world；　said　P。V。；　he　had　just　one　question：　〃Is　America
prepared？　It　is　not。　。　。　You've　gotten　a　little　contented　and　slow；　and　the　people
who　came　into　the　field　with　＇the　triple　convergence＇　are　really　hungry。　Immigrants
are　always　hungry…and　they　don't　have　a　backup　plan。〃
A　short　time　later　I　read　a　column　by　Steven　Pearlstein；　The　Washington　Post's　business　
columnist/reporter；　under　the　headline　〃Europe's　Capitalism　Curtain。〃　From　Wroclaw；　
Poland　（July　23；　2004）；　Pearlstein　wrote：　〃A　curtain　has　descended　across　Europe。



On　one　side　are　hope；　optimism；　freedom　and　prospects　for　a　better　life。　On　the　other　
side；　fear；　pessimism；　suffocating　government　regulations　and　a　sense　that　the　best　
times　are　in　the　past。〃　This　new　curtain；　Pearlstein　argued；　demarks　Eastern　Europe；　
which　is　embracing　capitalism；　and　Western　Europe；　which　is　wishing　desperately　that　
it　would　go　away。　
〃This　time；　however；　it　is　the　East　that　is　likely　to　prevail；〃　he　continued。　〃The　
energy　and　sense　of　possibility　are　almost　palpable　here　。　。　。　Money　and　companies　
are　pouring　in…not　just　the　prestige　nameplates　like　Bombardier；　Siemens；　Whirlpool；　
Toyota　and　Volvo；　but　also　the　network　of　suppliers　that　inevitably　follows　them。　
At　first；　most　of　the　new　jobs　were　of　the　semi…skilled　variety。　Now　they　have　been　
followed　by　design　and　engineering　work　that　aims　to　tap　into　the　largest　concen264　
tration　of　university　students　in　Eastern　Europe　。　。　。　The　secret　isn't　just　lower　
wages。　It's　also　the　attitude　of　workers　who　take　pride　and　are　willing　to　do　what　
is　necessary　to　succeed；　even　if　it　means　outsourcing　parts　production　or　working　
on　weekends　or　altering　vacation　schedules…　things　that　would　almost　certainly　
trigger　months　of　acrimony　and　negotiation　in　Western　Europe。　'The　people　back　home；　
they　haven't　got　any　idea　how　much　they　need　to　change　if　they　want　to　preserve　what　
they　have；'　said　Jose　Ugarte　＇a　Basque　who　heads　the　appliance　manufacturing　
operations　of　Mondragon；　the　giant　Spanish　industrial　cooperative＇。　'The　danger　to　
them　is　enormous。　They　don't　realize　how　fast　this　is　happening　。　。　。'　It's　not　the　
dream　of　riches　that　animates　the　people　of　Wroclaw　so　much　as　the　determination　to　
work　hard；　sacrifice　what　needs　to　be　sacrificed　and　change　what　needs　to　be　changed　
to　close　the　gap　with　the　West。　It　is　that　pride　and　determination；　says　Wroclaw's　
mayor；　Rafal　Dutkiewicz；　that　explain　why　they　are　such　a　threat　to　the　'leisure…time　
society'　on　the　other　side　of　the　curtain。〃　
I　heard　a　similar　refrain　in　a　discussion　with　consular　officials　who　oversee　the　
granting　of　visas　at　the　U。S。　embassy　in　Beijing。　As　one　of　them　put　it　to　me；　〃I　
do　think　Americans　are　oblivious　to　the　huge　changes。　Every　American　who　comes　over　
to　visit　me　＇in　China＇　is　just　blown　away　。　。　。　Your　average　kid　in　the　U。S。　is　growing　
up　in　a　wealthy　country　with　many　opportunities；　and　many　are　the　kids　of　advantaged　
educated　people　and　have　a　sense　of　entitlement。　Well；　the　hard　reality　for　that　kid　
is　that　fifteen　years　from　now　Wu　is　going　to　be　his　boss　and　Zhou　is　going　to　be　
the　doctor　in　town。　The　competition　is　coming；　and　many　of　the　kids　are　going　to　move　
into　their　twenties　clueless　about　these　rising　forces。〃　
When　I　asked　Bill　Gates　about　the　supposed　American　education　advantage…an　education　
that　stresses　creativity；　not　rote　learning…he　was　utterly　dismissive。　In　his　view；　
those　who　think　that　the　more　rote　learning　systems　of　China　and　Japan　can't　turn　
out　innovators　who　can　compete　with　Americans　are　sadly　mistaken。　Said　Gates；　〃I　have　
never　met　the　guy　who　doesn't　know　how　to　multiply　who　created　software　。　。　。　Who　
has　the　most　creative　video　games　in　the　world？　Japan！　I　never　met　
265　
these　'rote　people'。　。　。　Some　of　my　best　software　developers　are　Japanese。　You　need　
to　understand　things　in　order　to　invent　beyond　them。〃　


One　cannot　stress　enough：　Young　Chinese；　Indians；　and　Poles　are　not　racing　us　to　the　
bottom。　They　are　racing　us　to　the　top。　They　do　not　want　to　work　for　us；　they　don't　
even　want　to　be　us。　They　want　to　dominate　us…in　the　sense　that　they　want　to　be　creating　
the　companies　of　the　future　that　people　all　over　the　world　will　admire　and　clamor　
to　work　for。　They　are　in　no　way　content　with　where　they　have　come　so　far。　I　was　talking　
to　a　Chinese…American　who　works　for　Microsoft　and　has　accompanied　Bill　Gates　on　visits　
to　China。　He　said　Gates　is　recognized　everywhere　he　goes　in　China。　Young　people　there　
hang　from　the　rafters　and　scalp　tickets　just　to　hear　him　speak。　Same　with　Jerry　Yang；　
the　founder　of　Yahoo！　
In　China　today；　Bill　Gates　is　Britney　Spears。　In　America　today；　Britney　Spears　is　
Britney　Spears…and　that　is　our　problem。　
Dirty　Little　Secret　#3：　The　Education　Gap　
All　of　this　helps　to　explain　the　third　dirty　little　secret：　A　lot　of　the　jobs　that　
are　starting　to　go　abroad　today　are　very　high…end　research　jobs；　because　not　only　
is　the　talent　abroad　cheaper；　but　a　lot　of　it　is　as　educated　as　American　workers　
or　even　more　so。　In　China；　where　there　are　1。3　billion　people　and　the　universities　
are　just　starting　to　crack　the　top　ranks；　the　competition　for　top　spots　is　ferocious。　
The　math/science　salmon　that　swims　upstream　in　China　and　gets　itself　admitted　to　a　
top　Chinese　university　or　hired　by　a　foreign　company　is　one　smart　fish。　The　folks　
at　Microsoft　have　a　saying　about　their　research　center　in　Beijing；　which；　for　
scientists　and　engineers；　is　one　of　the　most　sought…after　places　to　work　in　all　of　
China。　〃Remember；　in　China　when　you　are　one　in　a　million…there　are　1；30