The historical debate is over. The answer is free-market capitalism.

Meaning of the quote

This quote suggests that the discussion about the best economic system has ended, and the solution is a market-based economy where prices, production, and the distribution of goods and services are determined mainly by competition in the market, rather than by central planning or government regulation.

About Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is a renowned American political commentator and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who has written extensively on global affairs, trade, the Middle East, and environmental issues. He began his career as a reporter and has been a weekly columnist for The New York Times for many years.

More about the author

More quotes from Thomas Friedman

I have a daughter who is a sophomore in college and another who is in the 11th grade of high school.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

Basically all the world’s computer parts come from the same supply chain that runs from Korea, down through coastal China, over to Taiwan, and down to Malaysia.

Thomas Friedman

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We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or balance sheets.

Thomas Friedman

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I basically did all the library research for this book on Google, and it not only saved me enormous amounts of time but actually gave me a much richer offering of research in a shorter time.

Thomas Friedman

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It created a global platform that allowed more people to plug and play, collaborate and compete, share knowledge and share work, than anything we have ever seen in the history of the world.

Thomas Friedman

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No, most of our political elite has not realized that the world is flat.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

Supply chains cannot tolerate even 24 hours of disruption. So if you lose your place in the supply chain because of wild behavior you could lose a lot. It would be like pouring cement down one of your oil wells.

Thomas Friedman

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I was in Bangalore, India, the Silicon Valley of India, when I realized that the world was flat.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention argues that no two countries that are both part of the same global supply chain will ever fight a war as long as they are each part of that supply chain.

Thomas Friedman

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If you don’t visit the bad neighborhoods, the bad neighborhoods are going to visit you.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

The historical debate is over. The answer is free-market capitalism.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

Yes, the world is now flat for publishing as well.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

Two things are going on at the same time with the flattening of the world: The relentless quest for efficiency is squeezing some of the fat out of life.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

You win the presidency by connecting with the American people’s gut insecurities and aspirations. You win with a concept.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

We need to become energy independent or at least aspire to that.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

Sometimes, when my wife and I were going out to dinner, I would take my laptop with me and work in the car, so as to take advantage of the half hour going and coming.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

I am hoping, though, that many of them have kids, who, when they have a moment to take a break from their iPods, Internet, or Google, will explain to their parents running the country just how the world is being flattened.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

McDonald’s cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the designer of the F-15.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author

There is no substitute for face-to-face reporting and research.

Thomas Friedman

American journalist and author