THE LEXUS AND THE OLIVE TREE: A CRITIQUE
Thomas FriedmanÆs (2000) The Lexus and the Olive Tree is both important and predictable. It is important because it enlightens one by developing a context for the phenomenon of globalization that expands the narrower and more typical considerations of globalization as essentially an economic process. The broadened context within which Friedman (2003) casts globalization is international relations. Friedman (2003) characterizes globalization, not only as an international system, he characterizes globalization as
à the dominant international system at the end of the twentieth century ù replacing the Cold War system à. (ôIntroductionö)
Globalization is an international system that influences (if not determines as Friedman (2003) states) relations between states, movements, organizations, and people. As is true of international systems of any character, globalization has its own structure and its own imperatives that allow the players to interact within the system. According to Friedman (2003), the important structural characteristics, imperatives, and rules (all of which are referred to as attributes in the book) include the following (Friedman, 2003):
à the globalization system à is not static, but a dynamic ongoing process: globalization involves the inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies to a degree never witnessed before ù in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations, and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before à. (Chapter 1)
The driving idea behind globalization is free-market capitalism ù the more you let market forces rule and the more you open your economy to free trade and competition, the more efficient and flourishing your economy will be. (Chapter 1)
Globalization means the spread of free-market capitalism to virtually every country in the world. Globalization also...