Freidman: A Theory Of Everything

The New York Times ^ | 06/01/03 | THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

[Pokey78]

As President Bush meets other world leaders this weekend, and tries to patch things up between America and the rest of the planet, I find myself looking back and asking: What's been going on here? After 9/11 people wondered, "Why do they hate us?" speaking of the Muslim world. After the Iraq war debate, the question has grown into, "Why does everybody else hate us?"

I've sketched out my own answer, which I modestly call "A Brief Theory of Everything." I offer it here, even more briefly, in hopes that people will write in with comments or catcalls so I can continue to refine it, turn it into a quick book and pay my daughter's college tuition. Here goes:

During the 1990's, America became exponentially more powerful — economically, militarily and technologically — than any other country in the world, if not in history. Broadly speaking, this was because the collapse of the Soviet empire, and the alternative to free-market capitalism, coincided with the Internet-technology revolution in America. The net effect was that U.S. power, culture and economic ideas about how society should be organized became so dominant (a dominance magnified through globalization) that America began to touch people's lives around the planet — "more than their own governments," as a Pakistani diplomat once said to me. Yes, we began to touch people's lives — directly or indirectly — more than their own governments.

As people realized this, they began to organize against it in a very inchoate manner. The first manifestation of that was the 1999 Seattle protest, which triggered a global movement. Seattle had its idiot side, but what the serious protesters there were saying was: "You, America, are now touching my life more than my own government. You are touching it by how your culture seeps into mine, by how your technologies are speeding up change in all aspects of my life, and by how your economic rules have been `imposed' on me. I want to have a vote on how your power is exercised, because it's a force now shaping my life."

Why didn't nations organize militarily against the U.S.? Michael Mandelbaum, author of "The Ideas That Conquered the World," answers: "One prominent international relations school — the realists — argues that when a hegemonic power, such as America, emerges in the global system other countries will naturally gang up against it. But because the world basically understands that America is a benign hegemon, the ganging up does not take the shape of warfare. Instead, it is an effort to Gulliverize America, an attempt to tie it down, using the rules of the World Trade Organization or U.N. — and in so doing demanding a vote on how American power is used."

There is another reason for this nonmilitary response. America's emergence as the hyperpower is happening in the age of globalization, when economies have become so intertwined that China, Russia, France or any other rivals cannot hit the U.S. without wrecking their own economies.

The only people who use violence are rogues or nonstate actors with no stakes in the system, such as Osama bin Laden. Basically, he is in a civil war with the Saudi ruling family. But, he says to himself, "The Saudi rulers are insignificant. To destroy them you have to hit the hegemonic power that props them up — America."

Hence, 9/11. This is where the story really gets interesting. Because suddenly, Puff the Magic Dragon — a benign U.S. hegemon touching everyone economically and culturally — turns into Godzilla, a wounded, angry, raging beast touching people militarily. Now, people become really frightened of us, a mood reinforced by the Bush team's unilateralism. With one swipe of our paw we smash the Taliban. Then we turn to Iraq. Then the rest of the world says, "Holy cow! Now we really want a vote over how your power is used." That is what the whole Iraq debate was about. People understood Iraq was a war of choice that would affect them, so they wanted to be part of the choosing. We said, sorry, you don't pay, you don't play.

"Where we are now," says Nayan Chanda, publications director at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization (whose Web site yaleglobal .yale.edu is full of valuable nuggets), "is that you have this sullen anger out in the world at America. Because people realize they are not going to get a vote over American power, they cannot do anything about it, but they will be affected by it."

Finding a stable way to manage this situation will be critical to managing America's relations with the rest of the globe. Any ideas? Let's hear 'em: thfrie@nytimes.com.

[CatoRenasci]

But, no one makes you accept the popular culture or the porn. All you have to do is ignore it. Or change the channel. I don't like it either, but I like the fact that we're free to have it.

[CatoRenasci]

A friend recommended it and gave me a copy years ago, but I couldn't get into it. I think it's kicking around the basement somewhere among the books sufficiently unloved not to be on a shelf. Should I dig it out and try again? I'm now reading The Arab Mind (1973) by Raphael Patai. Very good. This guy is a Hungarian-born Jew who likes the Arabs, but it's an extremely unflattering portrait of Arab culture. It's a must read.

[beckett]

I can't believe Friedman put his email address out. I have been looking for his address for years. The Times never published it before, to my knowledge.

As for the piece, he makes his case well. As exasperating and sometimes downright wrong as Friedman can be, it's hard to deny that he has the ability to synthesize his arguments with stunning brilliance. And sometimes, like today, he says some hard truths that need to be said about the state of world affairs.

Friedman was on Charlie Rose last night for the whole hour, and I was amazed at how few cheap shots he took at the Bush Administration. I guess he's having a burst of especially cogent rationality lately.

[quidnunc]

Melsec wrote: He has a point about the infusion of American culture into other societies. As an Australian, a country with many shared experiences as well as similar beginings, we have had little problem in either understanding or excepting most aspects of American culture. The problem with American culture though is that it is so powerfull. I'm not whinning here rather I wish to point out that along with the multitude of great things about American culture comes also the things which we don't enjoy such as the pop culture and porn etc. This is what the other countries find repulsive and having had there own culture swept away in one or two generations they find (more than America itself) that their young become obsessed with whatever is presented from such sweethearts such as Eminem, Slipknot, The internet Porn Industry.

Allow me to point out that we don't force our culture aon anyone.

If you don't like our music don't listen to it.

If you don't like our fast food dont buy Mac donalds' hamburgers.

If you don't like our TV, watch something else instead.

As for porn, that's not unique to the US and as a matter of fact non-American TV is much more likely to show full-frontal nudity and explicit sex than ours.

We don't force anything on anybody at bayonet point so don't blame us.

[McGavin999]

Of course they don't get a vote in it. If those people want a vote in things they should clean up their own countries. They DO have a vote in that.

[stop_fascism]

I pretty much ignore American popular culture, why can't the rest of the world do the same?

[beckett]

Friedman's wrong. The rest of the world is envious of us and can't come to grips about how terriblly run their own countries are. They mistake our "influencing their affairs" for their own incompetence.

I think Friedman managed to say the same thing without choosing language that could be construed as polarizing. I really don't think he would disagree with you too strongly.

[okie01]

"Friedman's wrong. The rest of the world is envious of us and can't come to grips about how terriblly run their own countries are. They mistake our "influencing their affairs" for their own incompetence."

Actually, Friedman does have a point -- though it escapes him.

Imagine the U.S. flexing its muscles with a bellicose version of Slick Willie as President. In many respects, the Kosovo "adventure" was the event that put the world on notice.

India registered deep concern at the time, their Foreign Minister remarking that "no one is safe". This particular aspect of the intervention escaped media attention, of course.

Recall that we, as a nation, have demonstrated ourselves capable of electing dangerous, irresponsible men. Plus, a craven Congress has failed to exhibit the will to bring him to account.

When a hegemon, even a democratic one, elects a sociopath, the entire world is in danger.

It's up to us to see that it never happens again...

[okie01]

I dogeared my copy of "From Beirut to Jerusalem" that I bought when I was fifteen. So Tom and I go way back. LOL"

Actually, I find the fact that the author and the columnist are the same person difficult to believe.

Another fan of "From Beirut to Jerusalem"...

[Cathryn Crawford]

I highly recommend it. I found it far from boring - I still read through it occasionally.

I also highly, highly recommend "A Place Among The Nations: Israel And The World" by Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite the name, it deals not only with Israel, but the entire Middle East. It's an excellent lesson in the history and culture, and is still relevant despite being written in, I believe, 1990 or '91. It's not boring, either.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Yep...I need to get another copy. Mine's falling apart! :-)

[CatoRenasci]

Well, perhaps I'll try it again. It took me three tries (more than 30 years ago) to get past the first 100 pages in Moby Dick, now one of my favorites.

[Cathryn Crawford]

It's worth it. It's not a textbook type book; it has stories intertwined with the learning. I loved it. I hope you do, too!

[melsec]

You must be joking!! It pours out of every shopping Mall store, it's all over the TV, radio stations on baggy arsed punk kids who think they are black gangsters and would put a knife in you cause they felt like it, it's on young girls who look more like whores than children. It's pumping out of sub-woofers from some kids car as it goes past the house in the middle of the night. Still the only reason I cannot just ignore it is because I actually care what happens to our kids and our society. I am not just happy to sit in my house and say well stuff everyone else my family is ok. As someone who has done a lot of youth ministry I know that even kids that come from very good homes can get infected by this stuff and it is a real struggle to keep them on the right track.

Mel

[Choose Ye This Day]

Amen, Mel. Most of us here in the States are sick to death of it, too. I can't stomach the manure that passes for popular entertainment right now, and so I do my best to avoid it--for my family's sake. We have no TV service (just selected DVD's & videos), and that has made a huge difference. Thank heaven for good books.

I loved when my 6-year old daughter came home from first grade and asked, "Who's Brittany Spears?" She really had no idea. Unfortunately, most everyone else in her class did.

It's a constant struggle, and culture (I hate to even use that word) every day becomes baser and baser. You take care of your own family, and you try your best to influence the media to just TRY giving us some decent entertainment.

[melsec]

Gee quidnunc you certainly take criticism personally. American Liberals run both you music and Hollywood movie industry as well as much of your TV industry. So the most popular forms of entertainment (next to the good old fashioned ones) are controlled by people who are happy to see the decline in morality - it makes great money. If I lived in a vacuum then I wouldn't have a problem with it as i can and do just switch off but it's not about my personal dislikes but rather about the effect it is having on society as a whole. As it does have an effect on society as a whole and as I also don't live in a vacuum then it does have an effect on me. The idea that if you don't like it you can turn it off then it won't effect you is just like saying "Ignorance is bliss". Any conservatism that does not have a concept of societal as well as personal morality is simply a conservatism based on fiscal policy and political backslapping.

You seem to have missed all the praise I heaped on much of what is American culture and simply took unction to what is essentially pop culture.

I am quite aware that the porn idustry did not originate in America however where making it a part of popular culture and exporting it to the rest of the world is concerned you win hands down.

BTW ever think of who these people who make so much money off of these industries support in the political arena - Yes you're right the Democrats.

:)Mel

[kezekiel]

As an Australian, a country with many shared experiences as well as similar beginings, we have had little problem in either understanding or excepting most aspects of American culture.

Rock on, Ozzies. Love you guys.

[okie01]

"Yep...I need to get another copy. Mine's falling apart! :-)"

Now that I think about it, what made "From Beirut to Jerusalem" so engaging (and educating) was the naivete of the author -- how the author of yesterday careened from car-bombing to massacre in the process of discovering himself and the underlying truth of the Middle East.

Ironically, the columnist of today seemingly retains his naivete about these matters...

[Skywalk]

Friedman is a lib, and thus susceptible to inaccurate views of a given situation, but generally has shown insight and thought in his observations. He's also a PROPONENT of economic interdependence and liberal(in classical sense) institutions and their formation in the rest of the world.

Remember, this is the same guy that wrote the Lexus and the Olive Tree.

Though they are rare, I've now met a couple of liberals who are generally pro-market and pro-republican governments, but simply worship the power of the state too much. It DOES happen. Not all are foaming-at-the-mouth leftists, even if they are wrong on a given issue.

[quidnunc]

Melsec wrote: Gee quidnunc you certainly take criticism personally. American Liberals run both you music and Hollywood movie industry as well as much of your TV industry.

Apparently you don't have a firm grasp of the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.

We aren't into censorship here and generally speaking the entertainment industry is market-driven.

Instead of whinging (a little Commonwealth lingo there) to us, get on your government's case and have them ban the importation of American culture.

And if you don't know how to go about that the Saudis will probably be happy to give you some useful tips.