The World Is Flat

Chapter Fourteen Summary

The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention

This chapter opens by introducing a new study of the "supply-chain" by using Friedman's computer as an example. The study later explores how geopolitical conflicts could slow globalization.

Tom Friedman has a theory: "two countries invested in a business together by being part of the same global supply-chain are less likely to go to war, as they are now heavily invested in the success of the business venture. Any interruption to that supply chain would be critical."

Supply chains have evolved and they have effected politics the stability of countries, such as Asian countries. These countries are part of many supply chains and are do good business.

The price of war is dramatically higher than it used to be and many countries must consider the economic effect of a war on their country.

For example, the China-Taiwan relations and India-Pakistan. These are two examples of how the globalization and supply chain have caused countries to think rationally about the cost of war and have arrived at a solution.

However, there are limitations to this phenomenon. For example, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks formed "mutant supply chains" for the purpose of destruction. Transmitting terror is easier in a flat world. Friedman ends by discussing a way to "examine our abilities to derail the nuclear threat by using our capabilities to disrupt the terrorists supply chain".