the.world.is.flat-第75节

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but　we　hung　around　her　classroom　like　it　was　the　malt　shop　and　she　was　Wolfman　Jack。　
None　of　us　could　have　articulated　it　then；　but　it　was　because　we　enjoyed　being　
harangued　by　her；　disciplined　by　her；　and　taught　by　her。　She　was　a　woman　of　clarity　
and　principles　in　an　age　of　uncertainty。　I　sit　up　straight　just　thinking　about　her！　
Our　children　will　increasingly　be　competing　head…to…head　with　Chinese；　Indian；　and　
Asian　kids；　whose　parents　have　a　lot　more　of　Hattie's　character…building　approach　
than　their　own　American　parents。　I　am　not　suggesting　that　we　militarize　education；　
but　I　am　suggesting　that　we　do　more　to　push　our　young　people　to　go　beyond　their　comfort　
zones；　to　do　things　right；　and　to　be　ready　to　suffer　some　short…run　pain　for　longer　
gain。　
I　fear；　though；　that　things　will　have　to　get　worse　before　they　get　better。　As　Judy　
Estrin　said；　it　will　probably　take　a　crisis。　I　would　simply　add：　The　crisis　is　already　
here。　It　is　just　playing　out　in　slow　motion。　The　flattening　of　the　world　is　moving　
ahead　apace；　and　barring　war　or　some　catastrophic　terrorist　event；　nothing　is　going　
to　stop　it。　But　what　can　happen　is　a　decline　in　our　standard　of　living；　if　more　
Americans　are　not　empow306　
ered　and　educated　to　participate　in　a　world　where　all　the　knowledge　centers　are　being　
connected。　We　have　within　our　society　all　the　ingredients　for　American　individuals　
to　thrive　in　this　world；　but　if　we　squander　those　ingredients；　we　will　stagnate。　
I　repeat：　This　is　not　a　test。　This　is　a　crisis；　and　as　Paul　Romer　has　so　perceptively　
warned；　〃A　crisis　is　a　terrible　thing　to　waste。〃　
Developing　Countries　and　the　Flat　World　


：：：：：　NINE　
The　Virgin　of　Guadalupe　
It's　not　that　we　are　becoming　more　Anglo…Saxon。　It's　that　we　are　having　an　encounter　
with　reality。　

…　Frank　Schirrmacher；　publisher　of　the　German　newspaper　
Frankfurter　Allgemeine　Zeitung；　commenting　to　
The　New　York　Times　about　the　need　for　German　
workers　to　retool　and　work　longer　hours　
Seek　knowledge　even　unto　China。　
…　saying　of　the　Prophet　Muhammad　
The　more　I　worked　on　this　book；　the　more　I　found　myself　asking　people　I　met　around　
the　world　where　they　were　when　they　first　discovered　that　the　world　was　flat。　
In　the　space　of　two　weeks；　I　got　two　revealing　answers；　one　from　Mexico；　one　from　
Egypt。　I　was　in　Mexico　City　in　the　spring　of　2004；　and　I　put　the　question　on　the　table　
during　lunch　with　a　few　Mexican　journalist　colleagues。　One　of　them　said　he　realized　
that　he　was　living　in　a　new　world　when　he　started　seeing　reports　appearing　in　the　
Mexican　media　and　on　the　Internet　that　some　statuettes　of　Mexico's　patron　saint；　the　
Virgin　of　Guadalupe；　were　being　imported　into　Mexico　from　China；　probably　via　ports　
in　California。　When　you　are　Mexico　and　your　claim　to　fame　is　that　you　are　a　low…wage　
manufacturing　country；　and　some　of　your　people　are　importing　statuettes　of　your　own　
patron　saint　from　China；　because　China　can　make　them　and　ship　them　all　the　way　across　
the　
Pacific　more　cheaply　than　you　can　produce　them；　you　are　living　in　a　flat　world。　
You've　also　got　a　problem。　Over　at　the　Central　Bank　of　Mexico；　I　asked　its　governor；　
Guillermo　Ortiz；　whether　he　was　aware　of　this　issue。　He　rolled　his　eyes　and　told　me　
that　for　some　time　now　he　could　feel　the　competitive　playing　field　being　leveled…and　
that　Mexico　was　losing　some　of　its　natural　geographic　advantages　with　the　U。S。　
market…by　just　staring　at　the　numbers　on　his　computer　screen。　〃We　started　looking　
at　the　numbers　in　2001　…it　was　the　first　year　in　two　decades　that　＇Mexico's＇　exports　
to　the　U。S。　declined；〃　said　Ortiz。　〃That　was　a　real　shock。　We　started　reducing　our　
gains　in　market　share　and　then　started　losing　them。　We　said　that　there　is　a　real　change　
here　。　。　。　And　it　was　about　China。〃　
China　is　such　a　powerhouse　of　low…cost　manufacturing　that　even　though　the　NAFTA　accord　
has　given　Mexico　a　leg　up　with　the　United　States；　and　even　though　Mexico　is　right　
next　door　to　us；　China　in　2003　replaced　Mexico　as　the　number　two　exporter　to　the　United　
States。　（Canada　remains　number　one。）　Though　Mexico　still　has　a　strong　position　in　
big…ticket　exports　that　are　costly　to　ship；　such　as　cars；　auto　parts；　and　
refrigerators；　China　is　coming　on　strong　and　has　already　displaced　Mexico　in　areas　
such　as　computer　parts；　electrical　components；　toys；　textiles；　sporting　goods；　and　
tennis　shoes。　But　what's　even　worse　for　Mexico　is　that　China　is　displacing　some　Mexican　
companies　in　Mexico；　where　Chinese…made　clothing　and　toys　are　now　showing　up　on　store　
shelves　everywhere。　No　wonder　a　Mexican　journalist　told　me　about　the　day　he　
interviewed　a　Chinese　central　bank　official；　who　told　him　something　about　China's　


relationship　with　America　that　really　rattled　him：　〃First　we　were　afraid　of　the　wolf；　
then　we　wanted　to　dance　with　the　wolf；　and　now　we　want　to　be　the　wolf。〃　
A　few　days　after　returning　from　Mexico；　I　had　breakfast　in　Washington　with　a　friend　
from　Egypt；Lamees　El…Hadidy；　a　longtime　business　reporter　in　Cairo。　Naturally　I　asked　
her　where　she　was　when　she　discovered　the　world　was　flat。　She　answered　that　it　was　
a　just　few　weeks　earlier；　during　the　Muslim　holy　month　of　Ramadan。　She　had　done　a　
story　for　CNBC　Arabiya　Television　about　the　colorful　lanterns　called　fawanis；　
311　
each　with　a　burning　candle　inside；that　Egyptian　schoolchildren　traditionally　carried　
around　during　Ramadan；　a　tradition　dating　back　centuries　to　the　Fatimid　period　in　
Egypt。　Kids　swing　the　lanterns　and　sing　songs；　and　people　give　them　candy　or　gifts；　
as　in　America　on　Halloween。　For　centuries；　small；　low…wage　workshops　in　Cairo's　older　
neighborhoods　have　manufactured　these　lanterns…until　thelast　few　years。That　was　when　
plastic　Chinese…made　Ramadan　lanterns；　each　with　a　battery…powered　light　instead　of　
a　candle；　began　flooding　the　market；　crippling　the　traditional　Egyptian　workshops。　
Said　Lamees；　〃They　are　invading　our　tradition　…in　an　innovative　way…and　we　are　doing　
nothing　about　it。。。　These　lanterns　come　out　of　our　tradition；　our　soul；　but　＇the　
Chinese　versions＇　are　more　creative　and　advanced　than　the　Egyptian　ones。〃　Lamees　said　
that　when　she　asked　Egyptians；　〃Do　you　know　where　these　are　made？；〃　they　would　all　
answer　no。　Then　they　would　turn　the　lamps　over　and　see　that　they　came　from　China。　
Many　mothers；　like　Lamees；　though；　appreciated　the　fact　that　the　Chinese　versions　
are　safer　than　the　traditional　Egyptian　ones；　which　are　made　with　sharp　metal　edges　
and　glass；　and　usually　still　use　candles。　The　Chinese　versions　are　made　of　plastic　
and　feature　flashing　lights　and　have　an　embedded　microchip　that　plays　traditional　
Egyptian　Ramadan　tunes　and　even　the　theme　song　to　the　popular　Ramadan　TV　cartoon　series　
Bakkar。　As　Business　Monthly；　published　by　the　American　Chamber　of　Commerce　in　Egypt；　
reported　in　its　December　2001　issue；　Chinese　importers　〃are　pitted　not　only　against　
each　other；　but　also　against　the　several…hundred…year…old　Egyptian　industry。　But　the　
Chinese　models　are　destined　to　prevail；　according　to　＇a＇　famous　importer；　Taha　Zayat。　
Imports　have　definitely　cut　down　on　sales　of　traditional　fawanis；'　he　said。　'Of　all　
fawanis　on　the　market；　I　don't　think　that　more　than　5　percent　are　now　made　in　Egypt。'　
People　with　ties　to　the　Egyptian　＇fawanis＇　industry　believe　China　has　a　clear　
advantage　over　Egypt。　With　its　superior　technology；　they　said；　China　can　make　mass　
quantities；　which　helps　to　keep　prices　relatively　low。　Egypt's　traditional　＇fawanis＇　
industry；　by　contrast；　is　characterized　by　a　series　of　workshops　specialized　in　
different　stages　of　the　production　process。　Glassmakers；　painters；　welders　and　metal　
crafts…　
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men　all　have　their　role　to　play。　'There　will　always　be　fawanis　in　Ramadan；　but　in　
the　future　I　think　Egyptian…made　ones　could　become　extinct/　Zayat　said。　'There　is　
no　way　they　can　ever　compete　with　things　made　in　China。'〃　
Think　how　crazy　that　statement　is：　Egypt　has　masses　of　low…wage　workers；　like　China。　
It　sits　right　next　to　Europe；　on　the　Suez　Canal。　It　could　be　and　should　be　the　Taiwan　
of　the　eastern　Mediterranean；　but　instead　it　is　throwing　in　the　towel　to　atheistic　


China　on　the　manufacture　of　one　of　Muslim　Egypt's　most　cherished　cultural　artifacts。　
Ibrahim　El　Esway；　one　of　the　main　importers　from　China　of　fawanis；　gave　The　Business　
Monthly　a　tour　of　his　warehouse　in　the　Egyptian　town　of　Muski：　He　had　imported　sixteen　
different　models　of　Ramadan　lanterns　from　China　in　2004。　〃Amid　the　crowds　at　Muski；　
＇El　Esway＇　gestured　to　one　of　his　employees；　who　promptly　opened　a　dust…covered　box　
and　pulled　out　a　plastic　fawanis　shaped　like　the　head　of　Simba；　from　The　Lion　King。　
'This　is　the　first　model　we　imported　back　in　1994；'　he　said。　He　switched　it　on。　As　
the　blue…colored　lion's　head　lit　up；　the　song　'It's　a　Small　World'　rang　out。〃　
Introspection　
The　previous　section　of　this　book　looked　at　how　individuals；　particularly　Americans；　
should　think　about　meeting　the　challenge　posed　by　the　flattening　of　the　world。　This　
chapter　focuses　on　what　sort　of　policies　developing　countries　need　to　undertake　in　
order　to　create　the　right　environment　for　their　companies　and　entrepreneurs　t