The World Is Flat Analysis

Abstract:

Friedman’s 2.0 Release in 2006 of The World is Flat argues that the information age has energized globalization in a manner the world has never seen – and location as a competitive edge has diminished its edges for economic development. Meanwhile, Richard Florida counters there is no place like home in Who’s Your City, published in 2008, stating that the world is “spikey.” This mountainous terrain is rife with clusters where location matters, most notably in U.S. mega-regions. While both texts are clearly intended for an American audience, this paper will compare and contrast these two views from just that: a lay American perspective - exploring and weighing the primary points of each against one another on three broad themes: economy, education and demography. Is technology making the world economically flat – laying the competitive playing field to 180 degrees for the educated, as Friedman passionately writes or does the empirical data tell us that, yes, there is a substantial difference from living in ‘Bos-Wash,’ where housing is expensive to ‘Hou-Orleans’ where it is affordable for those of a certain demographic trait at each bookend of the adult age spectrum? This paper will take a brief sampling and consider each perspective.

Introduction:

Richard Florida is a compelling, consistent writer. Researching this paper, his arguments vary little over such a relative period of time. In his 2002 The Rise of the Creative Class and The Flight of the Creative Class which appeared three years later in 2005, he maintains the position that although globalization has exposed regions to increased competition for talent, resources and enterprise, the world is far from flat. For example, specific places maintain their niche because of unique relationships that are clustered through a combination of infrastructure, technology, specialty activities, entrepreneurial culture, human capital and quality of life . Taking this one step further in 2008, he...