New York Times writer speaks to University students

By: Nicolas Saravia/Staff Writer

The University hosted Thomas Friedman, a New York Times foreign affairs columnist, to speak on Feb. 13 about America’s challenges and his latest book “That Used to be Us.”

The lecture was part of the Geopolitical Summit “Rediscovering America,” which was held in the Graham Center Ballrooms to discuss issues that currently face the nation and the world.

“We cannot fix our problems if we don’t ask what world we are living in. That is not how we start our day politically,” said Friedman, to a large audience of students, faculty and community members.

Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, has worked at The New York Times since 1981, where he has covered events such as the First Palestinian Intifada and the 1982 Lebanon War.

He is also the writer of the best-selling non fiction books “The World is Flat” and “Hot, Flat, and Crowded.”

Freidman focused his lecture on two of the country’s challenges described in his latest book: Our view of the world and our response to globalization.

He explained that that progress is halted in America because of the “broken” political system.

However, he believes that despite differences between the two main political parties, the country is “nowhere as near as divided as we watch it on cable.”

“I think he’s right. The system is unwilling to compromise. There is no sense of unity in the political system,” said Carolina Mendoza, an international relations junior.

Despite its internal issues, the author believes that America still plays a major role in world politics.

“We believe the US has done a lot of dumb things, but it is still the tent pole of the world,” said Friedman. “If we weren’t talking about post-911, we would be talking about how we are in the middle of an [information technology] revolution that takes the world from connected to hyper-connected.”

The author recalled that when he wrote “The World is Flat,” the world’s bigget cities were well connected to each other, but small towns were still out of the grid.

However, he said that this has changed, as people in places like Daraa, a Syrian town of 97,000 people near the Jordan border, can record situations of the recent uprise and post them online for the world to see.

“In the next five years, we will live in a planet where everyone has a cellphone,” he said.

Friedman commented on social media, advising young enthusiasts that even though their “lives may be digital, politics is still analog.”

He also talked about the youth’s new challenges in the changing job market, and what the new employers look for.

“It is not enough to be a radiologist. You have to bring something extra as a non-routine worker,” he said. “I had to find a job. You have to invent one.”

Another aspect of the job market tackled by the lecture is the increase in competition. Friedman explained that this also affects his profession, because of an increase in writers.

Despite America’s challenges, the writer is optimist.

For Friedman, part of that optimism relies on the persistence of America’s people.

“The country is full of people that didn’t get the word. Enormous energy from the ground up, this country is full of people who are just too dumb to quit.”

Following the lecture, a teach-in was held to discuss Friedman’s latest book, with University faculty such as John Stack, associate dean of the college of arts and sciences, and interim director of the School of International and Public Affairs; Shlomi Dinar, professor of international relations; Jose Gabilondo, professor of law; and Alan Gummerson, professor of economics.