The World is Flat 10/11/09

Friedman begins to end his conclusion in a completely original and abnormal manner. Instead of continuing on and on about the outsourcing of jobs and how it affects the United States, he interviews people who are still labeled at untouchables and how this is helping them to become prosperous. In India, the names of the people who were untouchables still give it away that that was their status. The parents of untouchable kids want their children to learn English so they can get jobs outside of India where they are not labeled as a person of lower standards. The personality among the untouchables seems to be that "around here, their names will always give them away as untouchables. But if they go somewhere else, and if they are really polished, with proper education and social graces, they can break this barrier." (568) Many of these people live in impoverished areas in which there is one school. This school represents the ability to attain a new future. However, without the extreme cultural diffusion that takes place between India and the United States, these untouchables have a chance to become successful professionals. Friedman's conclusion had me baffled and amazed. So many people talk about how bad it is that Americans lose jobs to Indians, but Friedman simply takes that argument and turns it on its head. He decides to show how much it had benefited people in India who have been oppressed for so long. It seemed like an awkward ending that really makes one look at all the aspects of globalization.