It's a Flat World, After All
Thomas L. Friedman,
New York Times,
Apr 05, 2005
This is a great article, one that addresses the newly level playing field worldwide created by the internet and open source, among other things. The sort of level playing field that allows me to read this article in my living room, free of charge, and to send it to people I know in India, Australia and South America, where "a 14-year-old in Romania or Bangalore or the Soviet Union or Vietnam has all the information, all the tools, all the software easily available to apply knowledge however they want." And while the author depicts it (accurately) as a challenge to America, I view it (also accurately) as an opportunity for the rest of the world. For the author, this new era began on 11-9 -- the date in 1989 of the falling of the Berlin Wall. For me, it began on 6-4 -- the date that same year of Tiananmen Square, the date the actions of a few reached out and electrified the world, electrified me. This has been a long time coming, and has a long way to go, and whether we in the west rise up to meet the social, technological and educational challenge an empowered world represents, the sight is nonetheless deeply gratifying.
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