If you are ‘average’ you are over: Friedman

In a thought-provoking discussion on Wednesday, Pulitzer Prize winner and world-renowned columnist and Foreign Affairs Correspondent of The New York Times, Thomas Friedman, reminded a Dubai audience that to succeed in today’s hyper-connected world one has to bring some extras and unique value add to justify their employment.

By Patrick Michael

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Published: Fri 4 May 2012, 8:43 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 11:55 AM

He was delivering the keynote address at the first IHT Global Conversation, the first in a series of discussions being held to mark the 125^th anniversary of the International Herald Tribune (IHT).

The era of being ‘average is officially over,’ said Friedman.

According to him, the recipe to succeed in today’s super-competitive world is to think like an immigrant; create like an artisan carving your initials on your work; be like a start-up entrepreneur always on the go; and extend service like a waitress, giving that extra helping as a personal touch.

Discussing elaborately on his new book, ‘That Used to be Us,’ Friedman said the biggest failure of the US today is to have lost its ability to produce collective responses and do big things together. He said the ability to be a life-long learner is now a lot more important than ever before.

Friedman said that the US today faces three grand bargains — debt versus deficit, energy versus climate change and workplace versus education challenges. The most significant shift, he said, is that the world has evolved from being ‘connected’ to ‘hyper-connected.’

Earlier, at a panel discussion on ‘The Middle East’s Role on the New Silk Road,’ Friedman said that the Middle East region is witnessing the end of a 100-year-old era. The lid has been thrown open for change, and the most pressing challenge is to have a new social and economic order that addresses the aspirations of the Arab youth.

Tarik Yousef, CEO of Silatech, Qatar; Nader Mousavizadeh, CEO of Oxford Analytica; and Masood Ahmed, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia, in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) joined Friedman in the panel discussion, moderated by Serge Schmemann, Editor of the IHT editorial page.

Friedman said that while he would like to see the Syrian regime decapitated, that should not come at the expense of the state’s collapse. Referring to the journalistic adage that ‘sometimes news is in the noise; sometimes news is the silence,’ And it is this sound of silence (from various quarters) that lends support to the regime, said Friedman.

Friedman said that unlike some other countries in Asia that had created a social and economic growth order despite their authoritative regimes, in the Middle East, the countries ‘squandered its dictatorship dividend.’ He said that the US is often cited as living in a brick-house. But the Middle East, he observed, was living in a doubly insulated brick house, but now the roofs are leaking and walls cracking.

Masood Ahmed said that Egypt urgently needs a national economic programme that will lend confidence and deal with the budget and trade imbalances.

He said that the plan must be implemented in the next one-and-a-half years. He highlighted the importance of trade with Asia, adding that Dubai’s recovery from the financial crisis is also due to its trade and logistics with Asia.

Ahmed said that the challenge before the Middle East is not macro-economic instability – it is the micro-fundamentals; creating jobs, providing education, and ensuring that the aspirations of the people are met.

“There’s no question that Asia and the Middle East are facing critical political and social challenges. But that makes it all the more important to discuss the ‘New Silk Road,’ because the shift of economic power from West to East is inexorable, said Serge Schmemann. “The huge economic opportunities opening along the arc from China to the Middle East and beyond to Africa and South America will require enlightened and creative leadership, and it is important to start talking now about what this means in concrete terms.”

Tarik Yousef said that China’s growing geopolitical and economic dynamism have presented new strategic and economic opportunities for the Arab world, while Nader Mousavizadeh presented the importance of energy revolution and its impact on the New Silk Road.

“Dubai has recaptured the dynamism that existed prior to the financial crisis, and served as the perfect destination to launch our first IHT Conversation session. As a regional hub for business and trade, the city also plays a strategic role on the New Silk Road. The enthusiastic participation of some of the region’s thought leaders at the event, and the vibrant dialogue it generated among the audience, once again demonstrates the power of IHT to spark intellectual debate of global significance,” said Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, Publisher of the IHT while introuducing the panel.

The IHT Conversation in Dubai, held at Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa, was sponsored by Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the specialised investment management organisation of the Government of Dubai, and Emaar Properties, the global property developer. Bank Muscat was the supporting sponsor.

patrick@khaleejtimes.com