Even if you disagree with him, you have to acknowledge that Thomas Friedman’s notions of globalization are fully incorporated in the debate (if, indeed, there still is a serious debate).  As an aside, “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” played a significant role in my thinking about how business operates in the early 21st century and how I might make my humble contribution.  In any event, Mr. Friedman recently wrote a bit in the New York Times regarding China’s recent progress towards its new role on the world stage.  He uses the different trajectories of the U.S. and China over the past seven years to highlight his points.  Anyone pondering where China will be in ten years relative to where we’ll be should read this Op-Ed piece.

“Just compare arriving at La Guardia’s dumpy terminal in New York City and driving through the crumbling infrastructure into Manhattan with arriving at Shanghai’s sleek airport and taking the 220-mile-per-hour magnetic levitation train, which uses electromagnetic propulsion instead of steel wheels and tracks, to get to town in a blink.

Then ask yourself: Who is living in the third world country?”

Having recently suffered through multiple blackouts in Silicon Valley (the last one due to poorly maintained power lines along Central Expressway) along with dodging potholes in US-101 that are bigger than my Honda car, I get his point.

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