This chapter wasn't nearly as...uh, titillating as the last one. While it still interested me to read about what developing countries needed to do to survive in the flat world, I found it harder to get interested in others' issues. Although it was very cool to learn just how hard it is to do business in some of these other countries. (Remind me never to try to start a business in Haiti, yikes!)
Friedman attributes some of these countries struggles in the new flat world to the need for 2 main things, what he calls the "reform wholesale" and the "reform retail." The reform wholesale is the basic underlying need of "broad macroeconomic reform." Opening up trade barriers is a big part of this type of reform. Reform retail is the next level up from that, and it entails upgrading the country's governance, infrastructure, and education systems. You can't do this without reform wholesale, however. Friedman also attributes the apparent inablility of some countries to take care of these reforms to culture and "intangibles", the former of which seems to be a very touchy subject. I don't care how touchy it is, it's the truth. There are just some people in this world (and some countries full of people) whose cultures simply clash with progressive thinking. Friedman talks about the difference between those cultures who are tolerant of others, and those who are not--what he calls the ability to "glocalize." If Muslim culture in the Middle East teaches their children to be intolerant of other cultures, then that kind of thinking will continue to hinder thier people's progress. It's sad, but it's true. Friedman does recognize that cultures, "a product of the context", can change. Hopefully, these developing countries can get on track, realize where they are in the context of the world, and say, "Wow, we're behind." It will take a LONG time, but I think they can do it.
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Yes, countires that cannot glocalize or be tolerant of other cultures will have trouble adjusting to the global world. If some Muslim-dominant countries do not want to be tolerant of other countries, then this could be a problem for them. This is not to say that all Muslims, or that even a majority of Muslims are not tolerant because that is simply not true. However,what is true is that cultures that cannot embrace the ideas a different view points of others will be missing out. One reason America is so strong is that we embrace diversity in everything, even opiion. By being open, you will find that others have new ways of looking at things that you may have never considered.
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