12 Year Reflection on a Flat World

Sometimes it is amazing to reflect back on our journeys in life. Too often we focus on solving the immediate symptom in front of us versus the long term solution to a problem. I was joking with my wife this week about using a twelve year old travel mug from my initial certification course as an information operations officer in 2007. It was during this course that I read the World is Flat by Friedman and watched colleagues become enamored by the aspects of the golden fleece of the internet that will bind societies together. Though the book has some valid concepts, perhaps a more robust answer to how technology impacts leadership and global diplomacy is the viewpoint by Florida in his Atlantic article and the concept of “the world is spiky”.

While Friedman focused on economic impacts of the internet, he failed to account for physical limitations of technology and human interactions. The internet is reliant on physical infrastructure and human capital for its existence. This is better represented by Florida and his concepts of spiky points of interests where population, technology, or human capital converge. His concepts better represent the reality of modern day social interaction on a global scale.

With age and experience comes the knowledge to reflect on how information flows through a society. While areas exist that exemplify Friedman’s noble concept of a flat earth, the reality is the world is separated into technology and economic oases and deserts. Perhaps it is better to think of the world as having different levels of access. The haves and have-nots. Africa, South East Asia, and the Middle East barely have 2G to 3G cell phone services while other areas of the world are rolling out 5G and 2TB broadband. This is just is just one of many points that highlight the differences that exist between various countries.

Another interesting aspect is human interaction with technology. The ability of governments to regulate or censor internet data is just as treacherous as not having technology to interact in the global commons. A dangerous consideration is how countries can use technology for disinformation and shape economic or political outcomes.

Twelve years later after my first exposure to information warfare and Thomas Friedman, my heart still believes in nobility, but my mind focuses on the reality of global commerce, technology, and the various levels of a connected society.