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is another sign： 〃No Cell Phones Allowed。〃
Hmrara。 No guns or cell phones allowed？ Guns I understand； I said； but why cell phones？
Silly me。 It was because some people were bringing cell phones with cameras intolocker
rooms； covertly taking pictures of naked men and women and then e…mailing them around
the world。 What will they think of next？ Whatever the innovation； people will find
a way to use it and abuse it。
While interviewing Promod Haque at Norwest Venture Partners in Palo Alto； I was helped
by the firm's public relations director； Katie Belding； who later sent me this e…mail：
〃I was chatting with my husband about your meeting with Promod the other day。。。 He
is a history teacher at a high school in San Mateo。 I asked him； 'Where were you when
the world went flat？' He said it just happened the other day at school when he was
in a faculty meeting。 A student was suspended for helping another student cheat on
a test…we're not talking the traditional writing answers on the bottom of your shoe
or passing a note； though 。 。 。〃 Intrigued； I called her husband； Brian； and he picked
up the story： 〃At the end of the period； when all of the tests were being passed up
to the front of the classroom； this student very quickly and slyly pulled out his
cell phone and somehow snapped a picture of some test questions； and instantly
e…mailed it to his friend who was taking the same test the next period。 His friend
also had a cell phone with a digital camera and e…mail capabilities and was apparently
able to view the questions before the next period。 The student was caught by another
teacher when he pulled out the cell phone between periods。 It is against the rules
to have a cell phone on campus…even though we know that all the kids do…so the teacher
confiscated it and saw that the kid had a test on it。 So the dean of discipline； at
our regular faculty meeting； opened by saying； 'We have something new to worry about。'
Essentially he said； 'Beware； keep your
373
eyes open； because the kids are so far ahead of us in terms of the technology。'〃
But things aren't all bad with this new technology； noted Brian： 〃I went to a Jimmy
Buffett concert earlier this year。 Cameras were not allowed； but cell phones were。
So then the concert starts and everyone suddenly starts holding up their cell phones
and taking pictures of Jimmy Buffett。 I've got one right on my wall。 We were sitting
in the second row and the guy next to us held up his cell phone； and I said； 'Hey；
would you mind e…mailing me some of those？ No one will believe we sat this close。'
He said 'Sure；' and we gave him a card with our e…mail ＇address＇。 We didn't really
expect to see any； but the next day he e…mailed us a bunch。〃
My trip to Beijing described earlier fell right after the fifteenth anniversary of
the Tiananmen Square massacre； which happened on June 4； 1989； that is； 6/4/89。 My
colleagues at the Times bureau informed me that on that day the Chinese government
censors were blocking SMS messages on cell phones that contained any reference to
Tiananmen Square or even the numbers 6 and 4。 So if you happened to be dialing the
phone number 664…6464； or sending a message in which you told someone you would meet
at 6 p。m。 on the 4th floor； the Chinese censors blocked it using their jamming
technology。
Mark Steyn； writing in the National Review （October 25； 2004）； related a story from
the London Arabic newspaper paper Al…Quds al…Arabi about a panic that broke out in
Khartoum； Sudan； after a crazy rumor swept the city； claiming that if an infidel shook
a man's hand； that man could lose his manhood。 〃What struck me about the story；〃 wrote
Steyn； 〃was a detail： The hysteria was spread by cell phones and text messaging。 Think
about that： You can own a cell phone yet still believe a foreigner's handshake can
melt away your penis。 What happens when that kind of technologically advanced
primitivism advances beyond text messaging？〃
This is not a chapter about cell phones； so why do I raise these stories？ Because
ever since I began writing about globalization； I've been challenged by critics along
one particular line： 〃Isn't there a certain technological determinism to your
argument？ To listen to you； Friedman； there
are these ten flatteners； they are converging and flattening the earth； and there
is nothing that people can do but bow to them and join the parade。 And after a
transition； everyone will get richer and smarter and it will all be fine。 But you're
wrong； because the history of the world suggests that ideological alternatives； and
power alternatives； have always arisen to any system； and globalization will be no
different。〃
This is a legitimate question； solet me try to answer it directly： I am a technological
determinist！ Guilty as charged。
I believe that capabilities create intentions。 If we create an Internet where people
can open an online store and have global suppliers； global customers； and global
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。
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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