the.world.is.flat-第74节

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suppliers；　and　they　are　actually　very　open　to　having　their　factory　standards　lifted；　
because　they　know　that　if　they　get　up　to　the　standards　of　HP　they　can　leverage　that　
to　get　business　from　Dell　or　Sony。　
Advocates　of　compassionate　flatism　need　to　educate　consumers　to　the　fact　that　their　
buying　decisions　and　buying　power　are　political。　Every　time　you　as　a　consumer　make　
a　decision；　you　are　supporting　a　whole　set　of　values。　You　are　voting　about　the　barriers　
and　friction　you　want　to　preserve　or　eliminate。　Progressives　need　to　make　this　
information　more　easily　available　to　consumers；　so　more　of　them　can　vote　the　right　
way　and　support　the　right　kind　of　global　corporate　behavior。　
Marc　Gunther；　a　senior　writer　for　Fortune　magazine　andthe　author　of　Faith　and　Fortune：　


The　Quiet　Revolution　to　Reform　American　Business；　is　one　of　the　few　business　writers　
who　have　recognized　how　global　corporations　can　be　influenced　by　progressive　politics。　
〃To　be　sure；〃　wrote　Gunther　in　an　essay　in　The　Washington　Post　（November　14；　2004）；　
〃there　are　plenty　of　scoundrels　out　there；　indifferent　to　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　
corporate　behavior。　And　some　executives　who　talk　of　social　is302　
sues　may　be　only　mouthing　the　words。　But　the　bottom　line　is　that　a　growing　number　
of　companies　have　come　to　believe　that　moral　values；　broadly　and　liberally　defined；　
can　help　drive　shareholder　values。　And　that　is　a　case　study　from　which　everyone　could　
learn。〃　
This　progressive　tilt　of　big　business　has　not　generated　much　press　attention；　Gunther　
noted。　〃Partly　that's　because　scandal　stories　are　juicier。　Mostly　it's　because　
changes　in　corporate　practices　have　been　incremental…and　because　reporters　tend　to　
dismiss　talk　of　corporate　social　responsibility　as　mere　public　relations。　But　chief　
executives　of　closely…watched　firms　like　General　Electric　do　not　promise　to　become　
better　global　citizens　unless　they　intend　to　follow　through。　'If　you　want　to　be　a　
great　company　today；'　Jeff　Immelt；　GE's　CEO；　likes　to　say；　'you　have　to　be　a　good　
company。'　When　I　asked　him　why　GE　has　begun　to　talk　more　openly　about　corporate　
citizenship；　he　said：　'The　reason　why　people　come　to　work　for　GE　is　that　they　want　
to　be　about　something　that　is　bigger　than　themselves。'　As　Immelt　suggests；　the　biggest　
driver　of　corporate　reform　is　the　desire　of　companies　to　attract　people　who　seek　
meaning　as　well　as　money　from　their　work。　Few　of　us　go　to　our　jobs　every　day　to　enhance　
shareholder　value。　Younger　people；　especially；　want　to　work　for　companies　with　a　
mission　that　goes　beyond　the　bottom　line。〃　
In　sum；　we　are　now　in　a　huge　transition　as　companies　are　coming　to　understand　not　
only　their　power　in　a　flat　world　but　also　their　responsibilities。　Compassionate　
flatists　believe　that　this　is　no　time　to　be　sitting　on　one's　hands；　thinking　
exclusively　in　traditional　left…right；　consumer…versus…company　terms。　Instead　we　
should　be　thinking　about　how　collaboration　between　consumers　and　companies　can　
provide　an　enormous　amount　of　protection　against　the　worst　features　of　the　flattening　
of　the　world；　without　opting　for　classic　protectionism。　
〃Compassionate　capitalism。　Think　it　sounds　like　an　oxymoron？　Think　again；〃　said　
Gunther。　〃Even　as　America　is　supposedly　turning　conservative　on　social　issues；　big　
business　is　moving　in　the　other　direction。〃　
303　
Parenting　
No　discussion　of　compassionate　flatism　would　be　complete　without　also　discussing　the　
need　for　improved　parenting。　Helping　individuals　adapt　to　a　flat　world　is　not　only　
the　job　of　governments　and　companies。　It　is　also　the　job　of　parents。　They　too　need　
to　know　in　what　world　their　kids　are　growing　up　and　what　it　will　take　for　them　to　
thrive。　Put　simply；　we　need　a　new　generation　of　parents　ready　to　administer　tough　
love：　There　comes　a　time　when　you've　got　to　put　away　the　Game　Boys；　turn　off　the　
television　set；　put　away　the　iPod；　and　get　your　kids　down　to　work。　
The　sense　of　entitlement；　the　sense　that　because　we　once　dominated　global　commerce　


and　geopolitics…and　Olympic　basketball…we　always　will；　the　sense　that　delayed　
gratification　is　a　punishment　worse　than　a　spanking；　the　sense　that　our　kids　have　
to　be　swaddled　in　cotton　wool　so　that　nothing　bad　or　disappointing　or　stressful　ever　
happens　to　them　at　school　is；　quite　simply；　a　growing　cancer　on　American　society。　
And　if　we　don't　start　to　reverse　it；　our　kids　are　going　to　be　in　for　a　huge　and　socially　
disruptive　shock　from　the　flat　world。　While　a　different　approach　by　politicians　is　
necessary；　it　is　not　sufficient。　
David　Baltimore；　the　Nobel　Prize…winning　president　of　Caltech；　knows　what　it　takes　
to　get　your　child　ready　to　compete　against　the　cream　of　the　global　crop。　He　told　me　
that　he　is　struck　by　the　fact　that　almost　all　the　students　who　make　it　to　Caltech；　
one　of　the　best　scientific　universities　in　the　world；　come　from　public　schools；　not　
from　private　schools　that　sometimes　nurture　a　sense　that　just　because　you　are　there；　
you　are　special　and　entitled。　〃I　look　at　the　kids　who　come　to　Caltech；　and　they　grew　
up　in　families　that　encouraged　them　to　work　hard　and　to　put　off　a　little　bit　of　
gratification　for　the　future　and　to　understand　that　they　need　to　hone　their　skills　
to　play　an　important　role　in　the　world；〃　Baltimore　said。　〃I　give　parents　enormous　
credit　for　this；　because　these　kids　are　all　coming　from　public　schools　that　people　
are　calling　failures。　Public　education　is　producing　these　remarkable　students…so　it　
can　be　done。　Their　parents　have　nurtured　them　to　make　sure　that　they　realize　their　
potential。　I　think　

we　need　a　revolution　in　this　country　when　it　comes　to　parenting　around　education。〃　
Clearly；　foreign…born　parents　seem　to　be　doing　this　better。　〃About　one…third　of　our　
students　have　an　Asian　background　or　are　recent　immigrants；〃　he　said。　A　significant　
majority　of　the　students　coming　to　Caltech　in　the　engineering　disciplines　are　
foreign…born；　and　a　large　fraction　of　its　current　facultyis　foreign…born。　〃In　biology；　
at　the　postdoc　level；　the　dominance　of　Chinese　students　is　overwhelming；〃　said　
Baltimore。　No　wonder　that　at　the　big　scientific　conferences　today；　a　majority　of　the　
research　papers　dealing　with　cutting…edge　bioscience　have　at　least　one　Chinese　name　
on　them。　
My　friends　Judy　Estrin　and　Bill　Carrico　have　started　several　networking　companies　
in　Silicon　Valley。　At　one　time；　Judy　was　chief　technology　officer　for　Cisco。　I　sat　
with　them　one　afternoon　and　talked　about　this　problem。　〃When　I　was　eleven　years　old；〃　
said　Bill；　〃I　knew　I　was　going　to　be　an　engineer。　I　dare　you　to　find　an　eleven…year…old　
in　America　who　wants　to　be　an　engineer　today。　We've　turned　down　the　ambition　level。〃　
Added　Judy；　〃More　of　the　problem　＇can　be　solved　by　good＇　parenting　than　can　be　solved　
from　a　regulatory　or　funding　move。　Everyone　wants　to　fund　more　of　this　and　that；　but　
where　it　starts　is　with　the　parents。　Ambition　comes　from　the　parents。　People　have　
to　get　it。　It　will　probably　take　a　crisis　＇to　get　us　refocused＇。〃　
In　July　2004；　comedian　Bill　Cosby　used　an　appearance　at　Jesse　Jackson's　Rainbow/PUSH　
Coalition　&　Citizenship　Education　Fund's　annual　conference　to　upbraid　
African…Americans　for　not　teaching　their　children　proper　grammar　and　for　black　kids　
not　striving　to　learn　more　themselves。　Cosby　had　already　declared；　〃Everybody　knows　
it's　important　to　speak　English　except　these　knuckleheads。　You　can't　be　a　doctor　with　


that　kind　of　crap　coming　out　of　your　mouth。〃　Referring　to　African…Americans　who　
squandered　their　chances　for　a　better　life；　Cosby　told　the　Rainbow　Coalition；　〃You've　
got　to　stop　beating　up　your　women　because　you　can't　find　a　job；　because　you　didn't　
want　to　get　an　education　and　now　you're　＇earning＇minimum　wage。　You　should　have　thought　
more　of　yourself　when　you　were　in　high　school；　when　you　had　an　opportunity。〃　
305　
When　Cosby's　remarks　attracted　a　lot　of　criticism；　Reverend　Jackson　defended　him；　
arguing；　〃Bill　is　saying；　let's　fight　the　right　fight。　Let's　level　the　playing　field。　
Drunk　people　can't　do　that。　Illiterate　people　can't　do　that。〃　
That　is　right。　Americans　are　the　ones　who　increasingly　need　to　level　the　playing　
field…not　by　pulling　others　down；　not　by　feeling　sorry　for　ourselves；　but　by　lifting　
ourselves　up。　But　when　it　comes　to　how　to　do　that；　Cosby　was　saying　something　that　
is　important　for　black　and　white　Americans；　rich　and　poor。　Education；　whether　it　comes　
from　parents　or　schools；　has　to　be　about　more　than　just　cognitive　skills。　It　also　
has　to　include　character　building。　The　fact　is；　parents　and　schools　and　cultures　can　
and　do　shape　people。　The　most　important　influence　in　my　life；　outside　of　my　family；　
was　my　high　school　journalism　teacher；　Hattie　M。　Steinberg。　She　pounded　the　
fundamentals　of　journalism　into　her　students…not　simply　how　to　write　a　lead　or　
accurately　transcribe　a　quote　but；　more　important；　how　to　comport　yourself　in　a　
professional　way。　She　was　nearing　sixty　at　the　time　I　had　her　as　my　teacher　and　high　
school　newspaper　adviser　in　the　late　1960s。　She　was　the　polar　opposite　of　〃cool；〃　
but　we　hung　around　her　classroom　like　it　was　the　malt　shop　and　she　was　Wolfman　Jack。　
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