Blog Entry #2 - Part 2

Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasing unification of the world's economic order through reduction of barriers to international trade such as, tariffs, export fees, and import quotas. While colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. Both have the same goal/meaning of bringing different communities together and integrating them to form one large society.
Friedman argues that the world has become a much more level playing field in recent history; this is due to the commerce, which had provided the opportunity for India, China, and other newly industrializing countries to emerge. He believes that historical and geographical differences are becoming more and more irrelevant due to what her refers to as "Globalization 3.0." Friedman goes on to list his ten flatteners, these include; the demolition of the Berlin wall (Nov. 11, '89), which visually allowed us to see the world as a flat plain. When Netscape went public (Aug. 9, '95), this was the first Internet browser, which brought the Internet alive and triggered the ".com" boom. Work flow, which refers to proprietary software, such as Microsoft word or excel. The next six are; outsourcing, off-shoring, open sourcing, supply chaining, in-sourcing, and informing, basically these are all companies and services that allow us to collaborate with others around the world. The final flattener he calls "the steroids," this refers to wireless, voice-over, and the Internet. In conclusion, Friedman states that 10 % of the world can plug into globalization, that's 300 million people! Globalization truly is "leveling" the playing field and bringing people everywhere together.