The World Is Still Round

The onslaught of globalization seems to be the issue on everyone's minds today: If proponents like New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman are to be believed, national borders are becoming irrelevant as constant improvements in transportation and communications transform the world into a single market. Contradicting Friedman's thesis, however, Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson argues that "the world is still round." While globalization is certainly an important force, Samuelson claims that national policy remains the most important factor in the economic condition of citizens. He offers as evidence the differing growth rates in the US, Europe, and Japan, regions that have responded differently to the opportunities presented by globalization. If Samuelson is right, then as globalization reaches its limits, the future will depend on "the behavior of that old-fashioned creature – the nation state." – YaleGlobal