Globalization

I have just been reading Thomas L Friedman’s “The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization.”

I have head a number of his other works and decided to go back to some of the basics. (Remember that I was born in 1950 and joined the military in the Cold War Era: that I pre-date both TVs and Movies in color, computers other than Main Frames, and the oral birth control pill.)

Our whole focus from “whose side are you on” has shifted. It might not always be for the better as short term business attitudes have resulted in long term industry disasters (remember when General Motors actually made a profit?).

But today, I buy wooden knitting needles from Indian and Vietnam, yarn from Peru, Japan, Australia, Estonia and Germany without leaving my desk. I download patterns from designers around the world and have friends in dozens of locations scattered across most of the continents.

Few of us have “loyalty” to our own country for products. Rather, we want the best for the purpose that we can afford, no matter where in the world it originates.

Which is why I am knitting a baby sweater: the pattern by a US designer on Norwegian 3.5 needles out of a UK yarn for a baby living in Germany born of Hungarian and US parents.

Pictures tomorrow