the.world.is.flat-第111节

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reopened。　Several　things　struck　me。　To　begin　with；　the　chief　rabbi　appeared　at　the　
ceremony；　hand　in　hand　with　the　top　Muslim　cleric　of　Istanbul　and　the　local　mayor；　
while　crowds　in　the　street　threw　red　carnations　on　them　both。　Second；　the　prime　
minister　of　Turkey；　Recep　Tayyip　Erdogan；　who　comes　from　an　Islamic　party；　paid　a　
visit　to　the　chief　rabbi　in　his　office…the　first　time　a　Turkish　prime　

minister　had　ever　called　on　the　chief　rabbi。　Lastly；　the　father　of　one　of　the　suicide　
bombers　told　the　Turkish　newspaper　Xaman；　〃We　cannot　understand　why　this　child　had　
done　the　thing　he　had　done　。　。　。　First　let　us　meet　with　the　chief　rabbi　of　our　Jewish　
brothers。　Let　me　hug　him。　Let　me　kiss　his　hands　and　flowing　robe。　Let　me　apologize　
in　the　name　of　my　son　and　offer　my　condolences　for　the　deaths。　。　。　We　will　be　damned　
if　we　do　not　reconcile　with　them。〃　
Different　context；　different　narrative；　different　imagination。　
I　am　keenly　aware　of　the　imperfections　of　Indian　democracy；　starting　with　the　
oppressive　caste　system。　Nevertheless；　tohave　sustained　afunctioning　democracy　with　
all　its　flaws　for　more　than　fifty　years　in　a　country　of　over　1　billion　people；　who　
speak　scores　of　different　languages；　is　something　of　a　miracle　and　a　great　source　
of　stability　for　the　world。　Two　of　India's　presidents　have　been　Muslims；　and　its　
current　president；　A。P。J。　Abdul　Kalam；　is　both　a　Muslim　and　the　father　of　the　Indian　
nuclear　missile　program。　While　a　Muslim　woman　sits　on　India's　Supreme　Court；　no　Muslim　
woman　is　allowed　even　to　drive　a　car　in　Saudi　Arabia。　Indian　Muslims；　including　women；　
have　been　governors　of　many　Indian　states；　and　the　wealthiest　man　in　India　today；　
high　on　the　Forbes　list　of　global　billionaires；　is　an　Indian　Muslim：　Azim　Premji；　
the　chairman　of　Wipro；　one　of　India's　most　important　technology　companies。　I　was　in　
India　shortly　after　the　United　States　invaded　Afghanistan　in　late　2001；　when　Indian　
television　carried　a　debate　between　the　country's　leading　female　movie　star　and　
parliamentarian…Shabana　Azmi；　a　Muslim　woman　…and　the　imam　of　New　Delhi's　biggest　
mosque。　The　imam　had　called　on　Indian　Muslims　to　go　to　Afghanistan　and　join　the　jihad　
against　America；　and　Azmi　ripped　into　him；　live　on　Indian　TV；　basically　telling　the　
cleric　to　go　take　a　hike。　She　told　him　to　go　to　Kandahar　and　join　the　Taliban　and　


leave　the　rest　of　India's　Muslims　alone。　How　did　she　get　away　with　that？　Easy。　As　
a　Muslim　woman　she　lived　in　a　context　that　empowered　and　protected　her　to　speak　her　
mind　…even　to　a　leading　cleric。　
Different　context；　different　narrative；　different　imagination。　
This　is　not　all　that　complicated：　Give　young　people　a　context　where　they　can　translate　
a　positive　imagination　into　reality；　give　them　a　context　in　which　someone　with　a　
grievance　can　have　it　adjudicated　in　a　court　of　
459　
law　without　having　to　bribe　the　judge　with　a　goat；　give　them　a　context　in　which　they　
can　pursue　an　entrepreneurial　idea　and　become　the　richest　or　the　most　creative　or　
most　respected　people　in　their　own　country；　no　matter　what　their　background；　give　
them　a　context　in　which　any　complaint　or　idea　can　be　published　in　the　newspaper；　give　
them　a　context　in　which　anyone　can　run　for　office…and　guess　what？　They　usually　don't　
want　to　blow　up　the　world。　They　usually　want　to　be　part　of　it。　
A　South　Asian　Muslim　friend　of　mine　once　told　me　this　story：　His　Indian　Muslim　family　
split　in　1948；　with　half　going　to　Pakistan　and　half　staying　in　Mumbai。　When　he　got　
older；　he　asked　his　father　one　day　why　the　Indian　half　of　the　family　seemed　to　be　
doing　better　than　the　Pakistani　half。　His　father　said　to　him；　〃Son；　when　a　Muslim　
grows　up　in　India　and　he　sees　a　man　living　in　a　big　mansion　high　on　a　hill；　he　says；　
'Father；　one　day；　I　will　be　that　man。'　And　when　a　Muslim　grows　up　in　Pakistan　and　
sees　a　man　living　in　a　big　mansion　high　on　a　hill；　he　says；　'Father；　one　day　I　will　
kill　that　man。'〃　When　you　have　a　pathway　to　be　the　Man　or　the　Woman；　you　tend　to　focus　
on　the　path　and　on　achieving　your　dreams。　When　you　have　no　pathway；　you　tend　to　focus　
on　your　wrath　and　on　nursing　your　memories。　
India　only　twenty　years　ago；　before　the　triple　convergence；　was　known　as　a　country　
of　snake　charmers；　poor　people；　and　Mother　Teresa。　Today　its　image　has　been　
recalibrated。　Now　it　is　also　seen　as　a　country　of　brainy　people　and　computer　wizards。　
Atul　Vashistha；　CEO　of　the　outsourcing　consulting　firm　NeoIT；　often　appears　in　the　
American　media　to　defend　outsourcing。　He　told　me　this　story：　〃One　day　I　had　a　problem　
with　my　HP　printer…the　printing　was　very　slow。　I　was　trying　to　figure　out　the　problem。　
So　I　call　HP　tech　support。　This　guy　answers　and　takes　all　my　personal　information　
down。　From　his　voice　it　is　clear　he　is　somewhere　in　India。　So　I　start　asking　where　
he　is　and　how　the　weather　is。　We're　having　a　nice　chat。　So　after　he　is　helping　me　
for　about　ten　or　fifteen　minutes　he　says；　'Sir；　do　you　mind　if　I　say　something　to　
you？'　I　said；　'Sure。'　I　figured　he　was　going　to　tell　me　something　else　I　was　doing　
wrong　with　my　computer　and　was　trying　to　be　polite　about　it。　And　instead　he　says；　
'Sir；　I　was　very　proud　to　hear　you　on　Voice　of　America。　You　did　a　good　job　。　。　。'　
I　had　just　been　on　a　VOA　show　about　the　backlash　against　
460　
globalization　and　outsourcing。　I　was　one　of　three　invited　guests。　There　was　a　union　
official；　an　economist；　and　myself。　I　defended　outsourcing　and　this　guy　heard　it。〃　
Remember：　In　the　flat　world　you　don't　get　just　your　humiliation　dished　out　to　you　
fiber…optically。　You　also　get　your　pride　dished　out　to　you　fiber…optically。　An　Indian　
help…line　operator　suddenly　knows；　in　real　time；　all　about　how　one　of　his　compatriots　


is　representing　India　half　a　world　away；　and　it　makes　him　feel　better　about　himself。　
The　French　Revolution；　the　American　Revolution；　the　Indian　democracy；　and　even　eBay　
are　all　based　on　social　contracts　whose　dominant　feature　is　that　authority　comes　from　
the　bottom　up；　and　people　can　and　do　feel　self…empowered　to　improve　their　lot。　People　
living　in　such　contexts　tend　to　spend　their　time　focusing　on　what　to　do　next；　not　
on　whom　to　blame　next。　
The　Curse　of　Oil　
Nothing　has　contributed　more　to　retarding　the　emergence　of　a　democratic　context　in　
places　like　Venezuela；　Nigeria；　Saudi　Arabia；　and　Iran　than　the　curse　of　oil。　As　long　
as　the　monarchs　and　dictators　who　run　these　oil　states　can　get　rich　by　drilling　their　
natural　resources…as　opposed　to　drilling　the　natural　talents　and　energy　of　their　
people…they　can　stay　in　office　forever。　They　can　use　oil　money　to　monopolize　all　the　
instruments　of　power…army；　police；　and　intelligence…and　never　have　to　introduce　real　
transparency　or　power　sharing。　All　they　have　to　do　is　capture　and　hold　the　oil　tap。　
They　never　have　to　tax　their　people；　so　the　relationship　between　ruler　and　ruled　is　
highly　distorted。　Without　taxation；　there　is　no　representation。　The　rulers　don't　
really　have　to　pay　attention　to　the　people　or　explain　how　they　are　spending　their　
money…because　they　have　not　raised　that　money　through　taxes。　That　is　why　countries　
focused　on　tapping　their　oil　wells　always　have　weak　or　nonexistent　institutions。　
Countries　focused　on　tapping　their　people　have　to　focus　on　developing　real　
institutions；　property　rights；　rule　of　law；　independent　courts；　modern　

education；　foreign　trade；　foreign　investment；　freedom　of　thought；　and　scientific　
enquiry　to　get　the　most　out　of　their　men　and　women。　In　an　essay　in　Foreign　Affairs　
called　〃Saving　Iraq　from　Its　Oil〃　（July…August　2004）；　development　economists　Nancy　
Birdsall　and　Arvind　Subramanian　point　out　that　〃34　less…developed　countries　now　boast　
significant　oil　and　natural　gas　resources　that　constitute　at　least　30　percent　of　their　
total　export　revenue。　Despite　their　riches；　however；　12　of　these　countries'　annual　
per　capita　income　remains　below　1；500　。　。　。　Moreover；　two…thirds　of　the　34　countries　
are　not　democratic；　and　of　those　that　are；　only　three　score　in　the　top　half　of　Freedom　
House's　world　rankings　of　political　freedom。〃　
In　other　words；　imagination　is　also　a　product　of　necessity…when　the　context　you　are　
living　in　simply　does　not　allow　you　to　indulgein　certain　escapist　or　radical　fantasies；　
you　don't。　Look　where　the　most　creative　innovation　is　happening　in　the　Arab…Muslim　
world　today。　It　is　in　the　places　with　little　or　no　oil。　As　I　noted　earlier；　Bahrain　
was　one　of　the　first　Arab　Gulf　states　to　discover　oil　and　was　the　first　Arab　Gulf　
state　to　run　out　of　oil。　And　today　it　is　the　first　Arab　Gulf　state　to　develop　
comprehensive　labor　reform　for　developing　the　skills　of　its　own　workers；　the　first　
to　sign　a　free…trade　agreement　with　the　United　States；　and　the　first　to　hold　a　free　
and　fair　election；　in　which　women　could　both　run　and　vote。　And　which　countries　in　
that　same　region　are　paralyzed　or　actually　rolling　back　reforms？　Saudi　Arabia　and　
Iran；　which　are　awash　in　oil　money。　On　December　9；　2004；　at　a　time　when　crude　oil　
prices　had　soared　to　near　50　a　barrel；　The　Economist　did　a　special　report　from　Iran；　
in　which　it　noted；　〃Without　oil　at　its　present　sky…high　price；　Iran's　economy　would