the.world.is.flat-第57章

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competition　for　who　can　offer　the　most　lavish　safety　nets。　Yes；　we　must　address　
people's　fears；　but　we　must　also　nurse　their　imaginations。　Politicians　can　make　us　
more　fearful　and　thereby　be　disablers；　or　they　can　inspire　us　and　thereby　be　enablers。　
To　be　sure；　it　is　not　easy　to　get　people　passionate　about　the　flat　world。　It　takes　
some　imagination。　President　Kennedy　understood　that　the　competition　with　the　Soviet　
Union　was　not　a　space　race　but　a　science　race；　which　was　really　an　education　race。　
Yet　the　way　he　chose　to　get　Americans　excited　about　sacrificing　and　buckling　down　
to　do　what　it　took　to　win　the　Cold　War…which　required　a　large…scale　push　in　science　
and　engineering…was　by　laying　out　the　vision　of　putting　a　man　on　the　moon；　not　a　missile　
into　Moscow。　If　President　Bush　is　looking　for　a　similar　legacy　project；　there　is　one　
just　crying　out…a　national　science　initiative　that　would　be　our　generation's　moon　
shot：　a　crash　program　for　alternative　energy　and　conservation　to　make　America　
energy…independent　in　ten　years。　If　President　Bush　made　energy　independence　his　moon　
shot；　in　one　fell　swoop　he　would　dry　up　revenue　for　terrorism；　force　Iran；　Russia；　
Venezuela；　and　Saudi　Arabia　onto　the　path　of　reform…which　they　will　never　do　with　
50…a…barrel　oil…strengthen　the　dollar；　and　improve　his　own　standing　in　Europe　by　
doing　something　huge　to　reduce　global　warming。　He　would　also　create　a　real　magnet　
to　inspire　young　people　to　
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contribute　to　both　the　war　on　terrorism　and　America's　future　by　again　becoming　
scientists；　engineers；　and　mathematicians。　〃This　is　not　just　a　win…win；〃　said　Michael　
Mandelbaum。　〃This　is　a　win…win…win…win…win。〃　I　have　consistently　been　struck　that　


my　newspaper　columns　that　have　gotten　far　and　away　the　most　positive　feedback　over　
the　years；　especially　from　young　people；　have　been　those　that　urged　the　president　
to　call　the　nation　to　this　task。　Summoning　all　our　energies　and　skills　to　produce　
a　twenty…first…century　fuel　is　George　W。　Bush's　opportunity　to　be　both　Nixon　to　China　
and　JFK　to　the　moon　in　one　move。　Unfortunately　for　America；　it　appears　as　though　I　
will　go　to　the　moon　before　President　Bush　will　go　down　this　road。　
Muscles　
Since　lifetime　employment　is　a　form　of　fat　that　a　flat　world　simply　cannot　sustain　
any　longer；　compassionate　flatism　seeks　to　focus　its　energy　on　how　government　and　
business　can　enhance　every　worker's　lifetime　employability。　Lifetime　employment　
depends　on　preserving　a　lot　of　fat。　Lifetime　employability　requires　replacing　that　
fat　with　muscle。　The　social　contract　that　progressives　should　try　to　enforce　between　
government　and　workers；　and　companies　and　workers；　is　one　in　which　government　and　
companies　say；　〃We　cannot　guarantee　you　any　lifetime　employment。　But　we　can　guarantee　
you　that　government　and　companies　will　focus　on　giving　you　the　tools　to　make　you　more　
lifetime　employable。〃　The　whole　mind…setof　a　flat　world　is　one　in　which　the　individual　
worker　is　going　to　become　more　and　more　responsible　for　managing　his　or　her　own　career；　
risks；　and　economic　security；　and　the　job　of　government　and　business　is　to　help　workers　
build　the　necessary　muscles　to　do　that。　
The　〃muscles〃　workers　need　most　are　portable　benefits　and　opportunities　for　lifelong　
learning。　Why　those　two？　Because　they　are　the　most　important　assets　in　making　a　worker　
mobile　and　adaptable。　As　Harvard　University　economist　Robert　Lawrence　notes；　the　
greatest　single　asset　

that　the　American　economy　has　always　had　is　the　flexibility　and　mobility　of　its　labor　
force　and　labor　laws。　That　asset　will　become　even　more　of　an　advantage　in　the　flat　
world；　as　job　creation　and　destruction　both　get　speeded　up。　
Given　that　reality；　argues　Lawrence；　it　becomes　increasingly　important　for　society；　
to　the　extent　possible；　to　make　benefits　and　education…the　two　key　ingredients　of　
employability…as　flexible　as　possible。　You　don't　want　people　to　feel　that　they　have　
to　stay　with　a　company　forever　simply　to　keep　their　pension　and　health　benefits。　The　
more　the　workforce　feels　mobile　…in　terms　of　health　care；　pension　benefits；　and　
lifelong　learning　possibilities…the　more　it　will　be　willing　and　able　to　jump　into　
the　new　industries　and　new　job　niches　spawned　by　the　flat　world　and　to　move　from　dying　
companies　to　thriving　companies。　
Creating　legal　and　institutional　frameworks　for　universal　portability　of　pensions　
and　health　care　…in　addition　to　Social　Security；　Medicare；　and　Medicaid…will　help　
people　build　up　such　muscles。　Today　roughly　50　percent　of　Americans　don't　have　a　
job…based　pension　plan；　other　than　Social　Security。　Those　who　are　fortunate　enough　
to　have　one　cannot　easily　take　it　with　them　from　job　to　job。　What　is　needed　is　one　
simple　universal　portable　pension　scheme；　along　the　lines　proposed　by　the　Progressive　
Policy　Institute；　that　would　get　rid　of　the　confusing　welter　of　sixteen　different　
tax…deferred　options　now　offered　by　the　government　and　consolidate　them　all　into　a　
single　vehicle。　This　universal　plan；　which　you　would　open　with　your　first　job；　would　


encourage　workers　to　establish　401　（k）　tax…deferred　savings　programs。　Each　worker　
and　his　or　her　employer　could　make　contributions　of　cash；　bonuses；　profit　sharing；　
or　stock；　depending　on　what　sorts　of　benefits　the　specific　employer　offered。　These　
assets　would　be　allowed　to　build　up　tax…free　in　whatever　savings　or　investment　
portfolio　options　the　worker　chose。　But　if　and　when　it　came　time　to　change　jobs；　the　
worker　could　take　the　whole　portfolio　with　him　or　her　and　not　have　to　either　cash　
it　out　or　leave　it　under　the　umbrella　of　the　previous　employer。　Rollover　provisions　
do　exist　today；　but　they　are　complicated　and　many　workers　don't　take　advantage　of　
them　because　of　that。　
The　universal　pension　format　would　make　rollover　simple；　easy；　and　
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expected；　so　pension　lockup　per　se　would　never　keep　someone　from　moving　from　one　job　
to　another。　Each　employer　could　still　offer　his　or　her　own　specific　401　（k）　benefit　
plan；　as　an　incentive　to　attract　employees。　But　once　a　worker　moved　to　another　job；　
the　investments　in　that　particular　401　（k）　would　just　automatically　dump　into　his　
or　her　universal　pension　account。　With　each　new　job；　a　new　401　（k）　could　be　started；　
and　with　each　move；　the　benefits　deposited　in　that　same　universal　pension　account。　
In　addition　to　this　simple；　portable；　and　universal　pension　program；　Will　Marshall；　
president　of　the　Progressive　Policy　Institute；　proposes　legislation　that　would　make　
it　much　easier　and　more　likely　for　workers　to　obtain　stock　options　in　the　companies　
for　which　they　work。　Such　legislation　would　give　tax　incentives　to　companies　to　give　
more　workers　more　options　earlier　and　penalize　companies　that　do　not。　Part　of　making　
workers　more　mobile　is　creating　more　ways　to　make　more　workers　owners　of　financial　
assets；　not　just　their　own　labor。　〃We　want　a　public　that　sees　itself　as　stakeholders；　
sharing　in　the　capital…creating　side　of　the　flat　world；　not　just　competing　in　global　
labor　markets/'　argued　Marshall。　〃We　all　have　to　be　owners　as　well　as　wage　earners。　
That　is　where　public　policy　has　to　be　focused…to　make　sure　that　people　have　
wealth…producing　assets　as　they　enter　the　twenty…first　century；　the　way　homeownership　
accomplished　that　in　the　twentieth　century。〃　
Why？　Because　there　is　an　increasing　body　of　literature　that　says　people　who　are　
stakeholders；　people　who　have　a　slice　of　the　pie；　〃are　more　deeply　invested　in　our　
system　of　democratic　capitalism　and　the　policies　thatkeep　itdynamic；〃　said　Marshall。　
It　is　another　way；　besides　home…ownership；　to　underpin　the　legitimacy　of　democratic　
capitalism。　It　is　also　another　way　to　energize　it；　because　workers　who　are　also　owners　
are　more　productive　on　the　job。　Moreover；　in　a　flat　world　where　every　worker　is　going　
to　face　suffer　competition；　the　more　opportunities　everyone　has　to　build　wealth　
through　the　power　of　markets　and　compounding　interest；　the　more　he　or　she　will　be　
able　to　be　self…reliant。　We　need　to　give　workers　every　stabilizer　we　can　and　make　
it　as　easy　for　them　to　get　stock　options　as　it　is　for　the　plutocrats。　Instead　of　just　
being　focused　on　protecting　
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those　with　existing　capital；　as　conservatives　so　often　seem　to　be；　let's　focus　instead　
on　widening　the　circle　of　capital　owners。　
On　the　health…care　side；　which　I　won't　delve　into　in　great　detail；　since　that　would　


be　a　book　unto　itself；　it　is　essential　that　we　develop　a　scheme　for　portable　health　
insurance　that　reduces　some　of　the　burden　on　employers　for　providing　and　managing　
coverage。　Virtually　every　entrepreneur　I　talked　to　for　this　book　cited　soaring　and　
uncontrolled　healthcare　costs　in　America　as　a　reason　to　move　factories　abroad　to　
countries　where　benefits　were　more　limited；　or　nonexistent；　or　where　there　was　
national　health　insurance。　Again；　I　favor　the　type　of　portable　health…care　program　
proposed　by　PPL　The　idea　is　to　set　up　state…by…state　collective　purchasing　pools；　
the　way　Congress　and　federal　employees　now　cover　themselves。　These　pools　would　set　
the　rules　and　create　the　marketplace　in　which　insurance　companies　could　offer　a　menu　
of　options。　Each　employer　would　then　be　responsible　for　offering　this　menu　of　options　
to　each　new　employee。　Workers　could　choose　high；　medium；　or　low　coverage。　Everyone；　
though；　would　have　to　be　covered。　Depending　on　the　employer；　he　or　she　would　cover　
part　or　all　of　the　premiums　and　the　employee　the　rest。　But　employers　would　not　be　
responsible　for　negotiating　plans　with　insurance　companies；　where　they　have　little　
individual　clout。　
The　state　or　federal　pools　would　do　that。　This　way　employees　would　be　totally　mobile　
and　could　take　their　health…care　coverage　wherever　they　went。　This　type　of　plan　has　
worked　like　a　charm　for　members　of　Congress；　so　why　not　offer　it　to　the　wider　public？　
Needy　and　low…income　workers　who　could　not　afford　to　join　a　plan　would　get　some　
government　subsidy　to　do　so。　But　the　main　idea　is　to　establish　a　government…supervised；　
…regulated；　and　…subsidized　private　insurance　market　in　which　government　sets　the　
broad　rules　so　that　there　is　no　cherry…picking　of　healthy　workers　or　arbitrary　denial　
of　treatment。　The　health　care　itself　is　administered　privately；　and　the　job　of　
employers　is　to　facilitate　their　workers'　entry　into　one　of　these　state　pools　and；　
ideally；　help　them　pay　for　some　or　all　of　the　premiums；　but　not　be　responsible　for　
the　health　care　themselves。　In　the　transition；　though；　employers　could　continue　to　
offer　health…care　plans　as　an　incentive；　and　workers　would　have　the　option　of　

going　with　either　the　plan　offered　by　their　employers　or　the　menu　of　options　available　
through　the　state　purchasing　pools。　（For　details；　go　to　ppionline。org。）　
One　can　quibble　about　the　details　of　any　of　these　proposals；　but　I　think　the　basic　
inspiration　behind　them　is　exactly　right：　In　a　flattening　world；　where　worker　security　
can　no　longer　be　guaranteed　by　Fortune　500　corporations　with　top…down　pension　and　
health　plans；　we　need　more　collaborative　solutions…among　government；　labor；　and　
business…that　will　promote　self…reliant　workers　but　not　just　leave　them