Friedman and Fareed: What In the World Does the Future Hold?

It is almost cliche to say that we lived in a globalized world. Yet, the definition of what globalization is, its complex processes, and the many critics of globalization render the term and understanding it sometimes difficult.

While there are critics of his approach, many of whom have valid points, I have found Thomas Friedman's defintion of and discussion about globalization useful for the classroom. We are reading sections from The Lexus and the Olive Tree as well as The World is Flat next week, and late in the year we will spend some time reading and thinking about segments of his latest offering: Hot, Flat, and Crowded. With Friedman, we will compose a definition of globalization, and then per the timeframe of this class, trace its history from ca. 1500. More on Friedman later, however.

In the meantime, we are going to spend some time with journalist Fareed Zakaria. A condensed version of his book The Post-American World, his recent Newsweek article on global issues and the U.S. will provide a helpful context to discuss the scope of this class. Here's an important BBC interview as well.

Read the article, and answer the questions below on your own paper; bring your answers to class and be prepared to discuss. DUE in class on Friday 8/22.


1. According to Zakaria, what accounts for American anxiety?
2. What does Zakaria mean by "post-Americanism?"
3. How does Zakaria relate his experience growing up in India with the reality of living in the U.S. and being a citizen of the world?
4. Identify and discuss what Zakaria considers to be the 3 great power shifts in world history? According to Zakaria, which shift was the most important and why?
5. How does Zakaria use statistics to confound the perception that today's world is more violent than in times past? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
6. Discuss Zakaria's comparisons between Russia and China.
7. In the midst of post-Americanism, what does Zakaria see as "good news?"
8. What does Zakaria mean by the "new nationalism?"
9. For Zakaria, what does the "next American century" hold?
10. Do you agree or disagree with Zakaria's overall argument and assessment? Why or why not? In your opinion, where does Europe fit into his larger argument?