Lexus and the Olive Tree Term Paper

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3. While globalization has the power to bring different countries together, it also involves a degree of cultural imperialism as the more powerful nations take full advantage of the opportunities presented while smaller nations find themselves treated more markets than as sources for goods. It is interesting, though, that many groups in the more powerful nations see globalization as a threat to their old way of life and as a program that exploits smaller nations and transfers jobs out of the larger countries and into smaller countries where labor costs are less. This is the view taken by many who had formerly worked in the manufacturing sector in the United States, a sector that has been largely dismantled as the manufacture of many goods has been transferred to factories in other countries in order to reduce labor costs. Political developments like the passage of NAFTA only speeded up this process and created more tensions as people lost manufacturing jobs and blamed the process of globalization for that fact. The promise of retraining for newer and more high tech jobs has not been fulfilled an cannot cover everyone affected in any case. Manufacturing has not been the only sector so affected, with other shifts affecting white collar jobs, such as people working on compute help desks and in customer service jobs, jobs that are more and more outsourced to English-speakers in India and similar places, again for reasons of economy. Globalization is a process that moves quickly, and preparations to address the disruptions that can be caused have not kept pace with the changes being made. Some in developing countries also see these changes as exploitive and as not brining the benefits promised, and protests at the World Bank and other global institutions have shown how widespread this view is.

4. When Friedman refers to the Lexus and the olive tree, he is referring to the coming together of two worlds, the high-tech and advanced economies that produce marvels like the Lexus, and the world still tied more directly to nature and to traditions.

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He depicts the new world as a struggle between those seeking advancement and prosperity (through the Lexus) and those who want to bolster tradition, religion, and spirituality (the olive tree). The two traditions actually operate together throughout the world, but each side may be given greater ascendancy in some parts of the world.

When referring to the Golden Straitjacket, Freidman is referring to the new world order of globalization and to the fact that everyone simply has to accept it and find a way to make do. If an individual loses a job in one part of the country, he or she should move elsewhere to take a job that does exist. The Golden Straitjacket is his vision of capitalism and the many opportunities offered by capitalism. He sees the human being as empowered by the desire for a better life, and he does not see any value I being poor or in coddling the poor, given his belief that they can always find some way to make a place for themselves in the world if they will only do so. Friedman believes that all of the countries that accept globalization are putting on the Golden Straitjacket and that they then will benefit if they accept its strictures and act accordingly. Of course, acceptance of this new set of rules is not really voluntary, and Friedman sees it as a necessity that everyone will have to accept in time in order to participate in the global economy. The straitjacket decides the course for nations and individuals alike, and it is designed to expand the economy while reducing political resistance.

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