Friedman on globalization

Thomas Friedman, the controversial but often right Middle East expert, writes in the New York Times magazine (here but you have to pay, so go to a library for the April 3 edition) on globalization. It's apparently a teaser for this book.

The bottom line is that anyone can work from anywhere. We have seen that cheap Indian engineers may be a better deal for companies than overpaid whiny American engineers, hence outsourcing. Entrepreneurialism and invention, too, are likely to follow manufacturing overseas, as an educated and creative Indian with a good computer and high-speed Internet access is on a level playing field with his American contemporaries -- and there are a lot more young Chinese and Indians than Americans, and American youths seem to be getting fat and lazy while Asians are still ambitious and hungry.

Friedman's solution is rather obvious, but his call is urgent: we need better science education and a more flexible pension and health care system. Hmmm... sounds like the old lefty wants to abolish the teachers' unions, privatize social security, and expand medical savings accounts! I told you Friedman was right sometimes!

Note for American readers: Bangalore is not a James Bond character, the sister of Pussy Galore. It's actually a city in India.

HT: Todd W. and David P., who usually wouldn't stoop to read filth like the NYT, but did this time.