Does Tom Friedman Have A Clue About China? No. (by Jonathan Tasini at HuffPost)

[marmar]

Jonathan Tasini
Does Tom Friedman Have A Clue About China? No.


Tom Friedman has written a lot of dumb things in the past. It's worth separating the dumb things that are just idle ruminations from the dumb things that are simply factually wrong. In yesterday's New York Times (apologies--on-the-road travel delay), Friedman gave us another globalization whopper that shows that he hasn't a clue what is happening in China--and his comment had a tinge or racism in it to boot.

In his column "The Green Road Less Traveled," Friedman writes:


What can many U.S. companies still manufacture? They can manufacture things that are smart -- that have a lot of knowledge content in them, like a congestion pricing network for a whole city. What do many Chinese companies manufacture? They manufacture things that can be made with a lot of cheap labor, like the rubber tires on your car. Which jobs are most easily outsourced? The ones vulnerable to cheap labor. Which jobs are hardest to outsource? Those that require a lot of knowledge.

So what does all this mean? It means that to the extent that we make "green" standards part of everything we design and manufacture, we create "green collar" jobs that are much more difficult to outsource. I.B.M. and other tech companies are discovering a mother lode of potential new business for their high-wage engineers and programmers thanks to the fact that mayors all over the world are thinking about going green through congestion pricing systems.


How to say this: that is complete nonsense. It is false to assert that China is simply manufacturing products that, as Friedman suggests, are simply lower-end products made with cheap labor. In his impressive book, "The Chinese Century," Oded Shenkar writes:


China's goal, and that of its government is not merely to catch up with the major industrialized powers but to overpass them. No other developing country has sets its sights so high, and none...has laid such a detailed road map to take it there.


Shenkar's book lays out in great detail how China is already overtaking the rest of the world in the higher-end, high-value, highly-skilled product lines. Since Shenkar's book was published in 2004, Friedman could easily have access to Shenkar's data. But, there is a hitch--it contradicts Friedman's world view. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-tasini/does-tom-friedman-have-a-_b_56619.html

[closeupready]

1. I don't understand his objection when he says this:

>>people who believe that, if we simply educate Americans better, than this country will "win" out in economic global competition are mouthing a line that edges pretty close to: we're smarter and better than "the others."<<

I agree with his larger point about Friedman not having a clue, but this idea (about education) is totally wrong. Tasini seems to be suggesting that education is not good and does not have value. Fact is, more education DOES lead to higher incomes. That's not just a talking point, there is data to back that up.

[Jim__]

3. I think his point is valid.

If we are shipping our jobs overseas, and we are, then we will lose in the end. Education may help you, but most of the educatd will have to emigrate to see the advantage of their education.

[Jim__]

2. Does Tom Friedman have a clue about anything?

I know he has lots of opinions, but does he have a clue?

[Boo Boo]

4. Tom Friedman is a shameless little toady. He's the journalistic equivalent of

a yes-man, telling the boss what he wants to hear.

[bemildred]

5. Friedman is a paid propagandist..

You will never know if he has a clue because you will never get his candid opinion.

[Locrian]

6. Friedman is a POS hack

Go here and watch the two videos, or better yet buy
"The World is Flat?" by Ronald Aronica (Author), Mtetwa Ramdoo (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-Critical-Analysis-Bestseller/dp/0929652045/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3020830-7689756?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184774357&sr=8-1

http://www.mkpress.com/Flat/

"Reviewer: A Reader from Boston
Aronica and Ramdoo have done what Friedman could have done, but didn't do: some comprehensive reporting on what the experts have to say about globalization. While Friedman restricts his reporting to conversations with celebrity CEOs he knows and stories based on interactions with his friends, Aronica and Ramdoo report on the thinking of experts, investigative journalists, economists and academics who specialize in the subject of international trade and globalization (Stiglitz, Bhagwhati, Roach, Gray, Shiva, Gonzalez, Leamer and other qualified experts are cited in their 46 footnotes (Friedman has none)). Friedman's book will fill your treasure chest with great material for yapping at cocktail parties. Aronica and Ramdoo's book will give you a balanced snapshot of the most important topic of our time, globalization."


Watch: A 13 minute Overview:
http://www.mkpress.com/FlatOverview.html

Watch: Shift Happens
http://www.mkpress.com/ShiftHappens