the.world.is.flat-第74章

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competitors；　they　will　open　that　online　store　or　bank　or　bookshop。　If　we　create　work　
flow　platforms　that　allow　companies　to　disaggregate　any　job　and　source　it　to　the　
knowledge　center　anywhere　in　the　world　that　can　perform　that　task　most　efficiently　
at　the　lowest　cost；　companies　will　do　that　sort　of　outsourcing。　If　we　create　cell　
phones　with　cameras　in　them；　people　will　use　them　for　all　sorts　of　tasks；　from　cheating　
on　tests　to　calling　Grandma　in　her　nursing　home　on　her　ninetieth　birthday　from　the　
top　of　a　mountain　in　New　Zealand。　The　history　of　economic　development　teaches　this　


over　and　over：　If　you　can　do　it；　you　must　do　it；　otherwise　your　competitors　will…and　
as　this　book　has　tried　to　demonstrate；　there　is　a　whole　new　universe　of　things　that　
companies；　countries；　and　individuals　can　and　must　do　to　thrive　in　a　flat　world。　
But　while　I　am　a　technological　determinist；　I　am　not　a　historical　determinist。　There　
is　absolutely　no　guarantee　that　everyone　will　use　these　new　technologies；　or　the　
triple　convergence；　for　the　benefit　of　themselves；　their　countries；　or　humanity。　
These　are　just　technologies。　Using　them　does　not　make　you　modern；　smart；　moral；　wise；　
fair；　or　decent。　It　just　makes　you　able　to　communicate；　compete；　and　collaborate　
farther　and　faster。　In　the　absence　of　a　world…destabilizing　war；　every　one　of　these　
technologies　will　become　cheaper；　lighter；　smaller　and　more　personal；　mobile；　digital；　
and　virtual。　Therefore；　more　and　more　people　will　find　more　and　more　ways　to　use　them。　
We　can　only　hope　that　more　people　in　more　places　will　use　them　to　create；　collaborate；　
and　grow　their　living　standards；　not　the　opposite。　But　it　doesn't　have　to　happen。　
To　put　it　another　way；　I　don't　know　how　the　flattening　of　the　world　will　come　out。　
375　
Indeed；　this　is　the　point　in　the　book　where　I　have　to　make　a　confession：　I　know　that　
the　world　is　not　flat。　
Yes；　you　read　me　right：　I　know　that　the　world　is　not　flat。　Don't　worry。　I　know。　
I　am　certain；　though；　that　the　world　has　been　shrinking　and　flattening　for　some　time　
now；　and　that　process　has　quickened　dramatically　in　recent　years。　Half　the　world　today　
is　directly　or　indirectly　participating　in　the　flattening　process　or　feeling　its　
effects。　I　have　engaged　in　literary　license　in　titling　this　book　The　World　Is　Flat　
to　draw　attention　to　this　flattening　and　its　quickening　pace　because　I　think　it　is　
the　single　most　important　trend　in　the　world　today。　
But　I　am　equally　certain　that　it　is　not　historically　inevitable　that　the　rest　of　the　
world　will　become　flat　or　that　the　already　flat　parts　of　the　world　won't　get　
unflattened　by　war；　economic　disruption；　or　politics。　There　are　hundreds　of　millions　
of　people　on　this　planet　who　have　been　left　behind　by　the　flattening　process　or　feel　
overwhelmed　by　it；　and　some　of　them　have　enough　access　to　the　flattening　tools　to　
use　them　against　the　system；　not　on　its　behalf。　How　the　flattening　could　go　wrong　
is　the　subject　of　this　chapter；　and　I　approach　it　by　trying　to　answer　the　following　
questions：　What　are　the　biggest　constituencies；　forces；　or　problems　impeding　this　
flattening　process；　and　how　might　we　collaborate　better　to　overcome　them？　
Too　Sick　
I　once　heard　Jerry　Yang；　the　cofounder　of　Yahoo！；　quote　a　senior　Chinese　government　
official　as　saying；　〃Where　people　have　hope；　you　have　a　middle　class。〃　I　think　this　
is　a　very　useful　insight。　The　existence　of　large；　stable　middle　classes　around　the　
world　is　crucial　to　geopolitical　stability；　but　middle　class　is　a　state　of　mind；　not　
a　state　of　income。　That's　why　a　majority　of　Americans　always　describe　themselves　as　
〃middle　class；〃　even　though　by　income　statistics　some　of　them　wouldn't　be　considered　
as　such。　〃Middle　class〃　is　another　way　of　describing　people　
376　
who　believe　that　they　have　a　pathway　out　of　poverty　or　lower…income　status　toward　
a　higher　standard　of　living　and　a　better　future　for　their　kids。　You　can　be　in　the　


middle　class　in　your　head　whether　you　make　2　a　day　or　200；　if　you　believe　in　social　
mobility…that　your　kids　have　a　chance　to　live　better　than　you　do…and　that　hard　work　
and　playing　by　the　rules　of　your　society　will　get　you　where　you　want　to　go。　
In　many　ways；　the　line　between　those　who　are　in　the　flat　world　and　those　who　are　not　
is　this　line　of　hope。　The　good　news　in　India　and　China　and　the　countries　of　the　former　
Soviet　Empire　today　is　that；　with　all　their　flaws　and　internal　contradictions；　these　
countries　are　now　home　to　hundreds　of　millions　of　people　who　are　hopeful　enough　to　
be　middle　class。　The　bad　news　in　Africa　today；　as　well　as　rural　India；　China；　Latin　
America；　and　plenty　of　dark　corners　of　the　developed　world；　is　that　there　are　hundreds　
of　millions　of　people　who　have　no　hope　and　therefore　no　chance　of　making　it　into　the　
middle　class。　They　have　no　hope　for　two　reasons：　Either　they　are　too　sick；　or　their　
local　governments　are　too　broken　for　them　to　believe　they　have　a　pathway　forward。　
The　first　group；　those　who　are　too　sick；　are　those　whose　lives　are　stalked　every　day　
by　HIV…AIDS；　malaria；　TB；　and　polio；　and　who　do　not　even　enjoy　steady　electricity　
or　potable　water。　Many　of　these　people　live　in　shockingly　close　proximity　with　the　
flat　world。　While　in　Bangalore　I　visited　an　experimental　school；　Shanti　Bhavan；　or　
〃Haven　of　Peace。〃　It　is　located　near　the　village　of　Baliganapalli；　in　Tamil　Nadu　
Province；　about　an　hour's　drive　from　downtown　Bangalore's　glass…and…steel　high…tech　
centers…one　of　which　is　aptly　called　〃The　Golden　Enclave。〃　On　the　drive　there；　the　
school's　principal；　Lalita　Law；　an　intense；　razor…sharp　Indian　Christian；　explained　
to　me；　with　barely　controlled　rage　in　her　voice；　that　the　school　has　160　children；　
whose　parents　are　all　untouchables　from　the　nearby　village。　
〃These　kids；　their　parents　are　ragpickers；　coolies；　and　quarry　laborers；〃　she　said　
as　we　bounced　along　in　a　jeep　on　the　potholed　roads　to　the　school。　〃They　come　from　
homes　below　the　poverty　line；　and　from　the　lowest　caste；　the　untouchables；　who　are　
supposed　to　be　fulfilling　their　destiny　and　left　where　they　are。　We　get　these　children　
at　ages　four　and　five。　They　don't　know　what　it　is　to　have　a　drink　of　clean　water。　
They　are　

used　to　drinking　filthy　gutter　water；　if　they　are　lucky　enough　to　have　a　gutter　near　
where　they　live。　They　have　never　seen　a　toilet；　they　don't　have　baths。　。　。　They　don't　
even　have　proper　scraps　of　clothing。　We　have　to　start　by　socializing　them。　When　we　
first　get　them　they　run　out　and　urinate　and　defecate　wherever　they　want。　＇At　first＇　
we　don't　make　them　sleep　on　beds；　because　it　is　a　culture　shock。〃　
I　was　typing　frantically　in　the　back　of　the　jeep　on　my　laptop　to　keep　up　with　her　
scalding　monologue　about　village　life。　
〃This　'India　Shining'　thing　＇the　slogan　of　the　ruling　Bharatiya　Janata　Party；　BJP；　
in　the　2004　election＇　irritates　people　like　us；〃　she　added。　'You　have　to　come　to　the　
rural　villages　and　see　whether　India　is　shining；　and　you　look　into　a　child's　face　
and　see　whether　India　is　shining。　India　is　shining　okay　for　the　glossy　magazines；　
but　if　you　just　go　outside　Bangalore　you　will　see　that　everything　about　India　shining　
is　refuted　。。。　＇In　the　villages＇　alcoholism　is　rife　and　female　infanticide　and　crime　
are　rising。　You　have　to　bribe　to　get　electricity；　water；　you　have　to　bribe　the　tax　
assessor　to　assess　your　home　correctly。　Yes；　the　middle　and　upper　classes　are　taking　


off；　but　the　700　million　who　are　left　behind；　all　they　see　is　gloom　and　darkness　and　
despair。　They　are　born　to　fulfill　their　destiny　and　have　to　live　this　way　and　die　
this　way。　The　only　thing　that　shines　for　them　is　the　sun；　and　it　is　hot　and　unbearable　
and　too　many　of　them　die　of　heatstroke。〃　The　only　〃mouse〃　these　kids　have　ever　
encountered；　she　added；　is　not　one　that　rests　next　to　a　computer　but　the　real　thing。　
There　are　thousands　of　such　villages　in　rural　India；　China；　Africa；　and　Latin　America。　
And　that　is　why　it　is　no　wonder　that　children　in　the　developing　world…the　unflat　
world…are　ten　times　more　likely　to　die　of　vaccine…preventable　diseases　than　are　
children　in　the　developed　flat　world。　In　the　worst…affected　regions　of　rural　southern　
Africa；　a　full　one…third　of　pregnant　women　are　reportedly　HIV…positive。　The　AIDS　
epidemic　alone　is　enough　to　put　a　whole　society　into　a　tailspin：　Many　teachers　in　
these　African　countries　are　now　afflicted　with　AIDS；　so　they　cannot　teach；　and　young　
children；　especially　girls；　have　to　drop　out　either　because　they　must　tend　to　sick　
and　dying　parents　or　because　they　have　been　orphaned　by　AIDS　and　cannot　afford　the　
school　fees。　And　without　education；　young　people　cannot　learn　how　to　protect　
themselves　

from　HIV…AIDS　or　other　diseases；　let　alone　acquire　the　life…advancing　skills　that　
enable　women　to　gain　greater　control　over　their　own　bodies　and　sexual　partners。　The　
prospect　of　a　full…blown　AIDS　epidemic　in　India　and　China；　of　the　sort　that　has　already　
debilitated　southern　Africa；　remains　very　real；　largely　because　only　one…fifth　of　
the　people　at　risk　for　HIV　worldwide　have　access　to　prevention　services。　Tens　of　
millions　of　women　who　want　and　would　benefit　from　family…planning　resources　don't　
have　them　for　lack　of　local　funding。　You　cannot　drive　economic　growth　in　a　place　where　
50　percent　of　the　people　are　infected　with　malaria　or　half　of　the　kids　are　malnourished　
or　a　third　of　the　mothers　are　dying　of　AIDS。　
There　is　no　question　that　China　and　India　are　better　off　for　having　at　least　part　
of　their　population　in　the　flat　world。　When　societies　begin　to　prosper；　you　get　a　
virtuous　cycle　going：　They　begin　to　produce　enough　food　for　people　to　leave　the　land；　
the　excess　labor　gets　trained　and　educated；　it　begins　working　in　services　and　industry；　
that　leads　to　innovation　and　better　education　and　universities；　freer　markets；　
economic　growth　and　development；　better　infrastructure；　fewer　diseases；　and　slower　
population　growth。　It　is　that　dynamic　that　is　going　on　in　parts　of　urban　India　and　
urban　China　today；　enabling　people　to　compete　on　a　level　playing　field　and　attracting　
investment　dollars　by　the　billions。　
But　there　are　many；　many　others　living　outside　this　cycle。　They　live　in　villages　or　
rural　areas　that　only　criminals　would　want　to　invest　in；　regions　where　violence；　civil　
war；　and　disease　compete　with　one　another　to　see　which　can　ravage　the　civilian　
population　most。　The　world　willbe　entirely　flat　only　when　all　these　people　are　brought　
into　it。　One　of　the　few　people　with　enough　dollars　to　make　a　difference　who　has　stepped　
up　to　this　challenge　is　Microsoft　chairman　Bill　Gates；　whose　27　billion　Bill　and　
Melinda　Gates　Foundation　has　focused　on　this　huge；　disease…ravaged；　
opportunity…deprived　population。　I　have　been　a　critic　of　some　of　Microsoft's　business　
practices　over　the　years；　and　I　do　not　regret　one　word　I　have　written　about　some　of　


its　anticompetitive　tactics。　But　I　have　been　impressed　by　Gates's　personal　commitment　
of　money　and　energy　to　address　the　unflat　world。　Both　times　I　spoke　to　Gates；　this　
is　the　subject　he　wanted　to　talk　about　most　and　addressed　with　the　most　passion。　
379　
〃No　one　funds　things　for　that　other　3　bill