按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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