Never under pay the translator!-and other lessons for negotiation in Asia

Our beleaguered and beloved Commander in Chief of Verbal Blunder was once again the subject of controversy ahead of the APEC summit last week in Sydney. A rather testy exchange ensued when his Excellency G. W. Bush was pressed by President Roh of South Korea to explain again his position on ending the Korean War. The official reason for their public display of disharmony was later chalked up to bad translation. That would mean that the state department of the world’s largest economy and its counterpart from the world’s 12th largest, with months to prepare for this summit, flat out blew it. For those of you who have absolutely no idea (or perhaps, interest) of how that could have happened, the answer is it probably DID NOT happen, but it was a wonderful excuse that allowed both leaders to save face. Regardless of the actual correctness or lack of correctness of the translation, this incident does highlight how important translation, not only of words but also ideas, is to the success of negotiations between parties with different culture, values and languages.

Without question, we are well into an era of rising Asian influence, particularly in business and world affairs, and we need to face the fact that our future success may well be determined by how well we can bridge the cultural and language differences this presents. Having spent over a decade negotiating my way through business and life in the Middle Kingdom, I learned a great deal about how little I understood my Asian counterparts, be they Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Korean. While I was by some measures successful, I also learned to be modest enough not to claim expert status; however some of the lessons I learned I believe are worth sharing.

Here is my “top 11”, and although there are many other lists of this nature, perhaps far better and more comprehensive than mine, I think you will find mine valuable in its candor, as well as my emphasis on “don’t” rather than “do”.

1. Don’t ever believe what you see or hear. This is “the” cardinal rule of doing business in most of Asia. Why? Most westerners are so eager to find the mother lode, be it a reliable low-cost supplier, an efficient channel to the market, an original Ming dynasty antique or an “insider” with power to name a few, that they leave common sense in the overhead bin on departure. There are hundreds of brick and mortar buildings born from a can of paint, and Kim Jong Il is one helluva golfer! Yes your competitor’s price is lower, but that was from a decade ago and the freight was not included.

2. Don’t EVER take yes for an answer. Yes means maybe or perhaps even no, but seldom means yes. Maybe means yes, no or maybe, just maybe. There is really no no, but you will soon learn which yes or maybe means no. The concept of courtesy you are familiar with does not extend to negative answers, the other party’s does. Admittedly, it does feel a whole lot better to hear maybe rather than no.

3. Don’t be in such a hurry. Your perception of time was shaped by “The One-Minute Manager” and 60-second sound bites, and the other party’s biggest advantage is knowing the return date on your ticket, which you so generously offer up in the opening round. Think millenniums, generations and how auspicious is this month anyway?

4. Don’t ever get too full of yourself. Sure, that police escort from the airport was cool and that was probably the first (and maybe last time) in your life a mayor met you on the tarmac, but get a grip. The “mayor” is one of a dozen or so vice mayors whose principal job is just that and the police escort was less for you than for him. Yes, you were on television at 1am this morning, and no, the translation did not have any resemblance to what you actually said. By the way, that cousin of Chairman Mao you had lunch with is a bit more distant than you might have been led to believe.

5. Don’t underpay your translator. It is wonderful you have installed Babelfish on your laptop, not to mention you have spent hours honing your Vietnamese with that honey you met at the bar, but the truth of the matter is, unless this is your native language you will be hopelessly clueless in most negotiations. A loyal and dependable native speaker is worth his or her weight in gold when it comes time to finalize the deal if you have any hope of keeping your shirt. Your “no” can easily become “yes”, and those meeting notes you just signed can and will be used against you when your company’s trademark suddenly appears on a new line of condoms.

6. Don’t ever believe anyone across the table from you has the authority to decide anything other than where to go for lunch. The real decision maker is busy on far more important matters than yours and will be briefed on your discussions later, maybe. Your chances of this happening are far higher if you heeded lesson 3 by the way.

7. Don’t ignore or anger that grumpy old man at the end of the table who seems to always be sleeping. I know the books you read and the experts you talked to all emphasized the importance of protocol and that the person directly across from you was likely your equal, and he probably is, but that grumpy old man was sent by the chairman to keep an eye on your equal.

8. Don’t try too hard to prove you deserved your MBA. Your frequent use of ROCE, ROI, EBITDA, LBO, opportunity cost, linear regression modeling, NPV, DCF and functional matrix worked pretty good on your resume but the multi-taskers you are facing now march to a different drum altogether. You will be wise to keep terms simple and easy to understand. This also greatly reduces the chance that your own shallow knowledge is exposed under intense efforts to explain what your version of DCF really means.

9. Don’t be offended when your host suggests a visit to the barbershop after a particularly tough and long round of talks. No, he is not mocking your latest take on the mullet; in fact, it is not very likely the barbershop he has in mind even cuts hair. Assuming you are a male, there are known weaknesses that are universal and this one can be particularly difficult to defend (wink, wink!). If so, politely decline. This also applies to the “Curious incident of the knock on the door in the middle of the night” as well as various adventures at Karaoke.

10. Don’t call your boss and gleefully announce that the contract will be signed “tomorrow”. Matter of fact; don’t even spend much time writing the contract. First, tomorrow has different meanings (see Lesson 2) and second, those words on paper are just a record of a particular moment in time of a young, but promising, relationship. The legal department may not completely understand that either.

11. Don’t ask too many questions about the origin or species of what lies on your plate. Try it first and then ask question later. You will be surprised how many ways you can cook a grasshopper and your gastronomical adventures will dominate the next cocktail party back home. Bon Appetit!

Another "Happy Meal" served with a smile!

(click on TItle for link to story)


No, I don't have any particular affiliation with or grudge against McDonalds-it just gives me unbelievable inspirations sometimes.

Having worked in the FF industry in my youth for 4.2 of the longest hours in my fairly long life, I can pretty much imagine how this whole thing went down! "I just fucked up dat Po Po's chick'n and cornbread and cornbread, ya know das right! Do ya feel me suga?"

And a question to our friends in criminal justice out there. Is too much sugar in the donut equally offensive? I am just curious of course.

Negotiation 101-what I learned at the wet market

The propensity and power to successfully negotiate shows up early in life. Ask any parent whose argument against buying that particular toy has been mercilessly dissected by the patient, well-reasoned logic of their 6 year old child if you have any doubts. The practice of negotiation is older than Methuselah and is used consciously and unconsciously almost every time we speak to one another, whether to buy something, to borrow something or even to beg something, such as those generally unfruitful efforts with the traffic police. The story line is pretty much the same in any case; one party wants something that the other party has the power to provide, and both parties want the final deal to favor their own interest. Even that sacred act of marriage is only consummated after a usually tough round of give and take.

Most successful negotiators will be the first to tell you that good negotiation is
more art than science, and the act of negotiation is as good of a test of your character as any other. Emotions, ethics, empathy, tolerance, patience, perseverance, honesty and prepared are words that I most associate with negotiation. And while there are tomes of books and thousands of seminars that promise to teach you negotiation skills, my own experience and observation is the best lessons in negotiation can be found in Asia, and there are no better teachers than the hordes of housewives who daily browse through the wet markets to buy fresh vegetables for dinner. Lets take an imaginary trip along with one such housewife and I think you will get the picture.

First, there is a very clear objective or preconception of what will happen. Vegetables are needed for dinner. The household favorite is spinach and that is what she looking for, but there are other vegetables that are also good, so if the spinach is not fresh or the cost is too high, kale or broccoli will do just as well.

Next is to consider how much time she has to buy the vegetables. The day is still young but she doesn't want to spend more than a couple of hours at the market, and lots of this time will be used up already chatting with friends and neighbors. Of course some of this chatting will be talk of who has the freshest and least costly spinach today.

Now she needs to decide where to buy the spinach and she needs more than one option to get the best deal. She already knows where to find the freshest and most tender spinach from her chatting and browsing.

OK, here it gets more difficult. She needs to determine what the other party expects or needs to complete the deal; in this case, what price the farmer is willing to sell his
spinach today. Of course this is never easy because she doesn't know how the farmer's day is going, and she has never bought from farmer "A" before either, so she is not sure how is his style, but needs to find out. The conversation probably goes something like this:

Housewife: Those are nice carrots you have, how much are they today?
Farmer A: These are the best carrots in the whole county. I want you to buy them so
I give you a special price of only 5 Yuan a bunch.
Housewife: Oh! That is so expensive. I can buy them over there for only 2 Yuan.
Farmer A: But those carrots are not as good as mine. But you are a nice lady and I
want you to buy my carrots so I will give you a special price of 3 Yuan.
Housewife: Oh! Still too expensive!
Farmer A: My carrots are the best. It cost me 2 Yuan to grow them. The best price is
already to low! But, if you will be two bunches I can give you a small discount, 5 Yuan for both.
Housewife: Hahaha! You are a robber instead of a farmer, still too expensive! How
much is that spinach you have? Is it made of gold also?
Farmer A: The spinach is same price as carrots.
Housewife: Golden carrots and golden spinach! Ai Yah!
Farmer A: Ok, you seem to be a nice person and I want you to buy my carrots. How
much can you pay?

The housewife then walks away with disinterest, generally with the farmer still asking,
"how much you will pay, what is your price?" The savvy housewife will say nothing of
course, as she is not yet ready to buy, and by doing nothing, she has remained flexible in reaching a deal. She has however established her bottom line indirectly to the farmer when she claimed to be able to buy at the price somewhere else. This process is repeated at the next stall, with variations of course, unless there is some clandestine "farmer cartel " operating in the background, until the housewife has determined as best she can which farmer is likely to give her the best deal.

Notice she has not yet committed or even hinted at her bottom line, but she has gotten a very good sense of each farmer's bottom line and style of negotiation. Now it is time to buy the spinach and go home. Farmer A seemed eager to sell his carrots and his spinach was pretty good, so back to Farmer A's stall.

Housewife: You seem rather slow today so maybe I will buy some of your carrots and
maybe some spinach too. I will give you 3 Yuan for one bunch of carrots and one bunch of spinach. Ok?
Farmer A: Hahaha! I can make no money at that price! It is getting late so just for
you, I give you both for 4.5 Yuan.
Housewife: Here is 3.5 Yuan in my hand. Take it and give me the vegetables.
Farmer A: Oh, too cheap! Give me 4 Yuan.

Our outwardly irritated housewife begins to walk away and, as she has expertly
calculated from their earlier exchange, the farmer shouts back, " Ok, you are cheating me but I give you both for 3.9 Yuan to save me from having to cart them back home." The housewife comes back then proceeds to find a blemish on 1 or 2 carrots, and after another mildly heated discussion with the farmer, walks away with a bunch of spinach for only 1.9 Yuan.

In reality both parties are reasonably satisfied or the deal would not have been concluded.

Global arms treaties, corporate takeovers and divorce settlements aside; this rather simple exercise teaches the most important fundamentals of negotiation. The interesting but seldom practiced fact is that all things in life are negotiable if you know what you want, make sure you have suitable options, invest some time to carefully study your options, gain an understanding of the other parties needs and are willing and able to walk away if your bottom line is not reached.

Beats shopping at Wal-Mart doesn't it?

Your dream is another's nightmare-yet another view on globalization

I saw an interesting question recently raised in a forum for debate. The question was “Has globalization hurt American workers?”

It would be wonderful if the answer to this question was as simple as the question itself, but perhaps that is the challenge, making a very complex answer simple. At first sight, the pairing of globalization with worker always conjures up an uncomfortable vision of displaced jobs, so the majority will quickly opt to say yes, globalization is harmful to American workers. But globalization is far more complex than just the transfer of some jobs overseas and outsourcing of others. Globalization is a standardization of processes and procedures, to some degree you could even argue it is a “dumbing down”, of how things are and should be done, and a relaxing of boundaries and barriers to a host of activities, all supported by the ability to transfer knowledge around the globe at the speed of light.

It can be argued globalization is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of our economic activities, for it is responsible not only for the fact that socks once made in a North Carolina mill where Great Aunt Sally worked are now woven in Bangladesh, but also for the fact you can buy those socks at the local Wal-Mart for about 1/3 of the cost in real dollar terms of those made by Great Aunt Sally, with equal or better quality and a far greater variety of color and style. And the money we saved on the socks? Well, it will probably go toward buying that new flat screen TV that is all the rage now, even if it is made in China. Globalization has allowed us to feed our seemingly insatiable appetite for more and better goods, funded by easy credit thanks to the savings of the rest of the world, which we plan to pay back with future earnings, which we suddenly find we may or may not realize.

So that seems to be the conundrum that this question begs us to solve. Globalization is both harmful and helpful, often at the same time, affecting you and I in ways that are unique to our own situation, but does the good outweigh the bad? For that reason, I choose to answer that globalization does hurt many American workers in the short term but that hurt is far from fatal; if anything, the current hurt might be an overdue and much needed wake up call to the change that is necessary now for any prospects of maintaining a competitive niche in the global economy.

Let’s go back to Great Aunt Sally for a moment. Why is the mill closed today? When Great Aunt Sally got her job the only skill she needed was a pair of agile hands and the ability to see and hear, and she had little else to offer. The mill was there because it had moved from its original location in New England where the increased cost of labor and shortage of low skilled workers had made it impossible to compete as a few more farsighted entrepreneurs had discovered they could make socks for less money in North Carolina. And what happened in New England? Well, after a period of a little hurt, the workers with the agile hands learned new skills and begin making toasters and transistor radios and light bulbs. Soon these goods too were under pressure, not only from North Carolina this time, but now also from Japan and Korea, and then Mexico. So again, a little hurt to readjust and retrain, and the New England workers were building instruments, medical devices, and some were even designing chips and writing software or selling derivatives and bond options. Technology was changing rapidly, society had become more mobile, modern highways and railways were being built allowing efficient and economical transportation of goods over greater distances, in fact, we were so efficient and made such great products that most of the world wanted to buy our products and services. For the majority of workers, even with these more frequent and disruptive changes, expectations for a better future were high and some sacrifice was necessary to make that happen. Our lifestyle and our standard of living became not only the “American dream”; it became the “World dream”. In fact, Great Aunt Sally probably even helped this transformation along. She was determined that her sons and daughters would have a better life than she so a share of her earnings, however meager, was put away to help make that possible. I think we all know the rest of the story. Great Aunt Sally’s children not only finished high school, one even went to college, as did some of their friends, and after graduating, all found opportunities far more exciting than watching a loom clack back and forth all day.

Globalization is allowing that very same story to happen today, but for far more people than at any time in history, and Great Aunt Sally’s savings have been replaced in America’s coffers by those from far away places. That universally powerful dream or expectation of a better life is being realized from Bangalore to Bangkok, from Budapest to Beijing, all aided by the standardization and spread of knowledge and the absence of barriers allowing goods and services to flow freely around the world, both such important components of globalization. This hope and aspiration for a brighter future which is driven and fed by globalization allows the industrialized and rich countries to harvest the more plentiful and less costly resources and labor of the developing world which the developing world is willing to temporarily sacrifice in the belief that it will bring a better future. And yes, those sacrifices are not always pretty. Exploitation of labor, environmental degradation, corruption and violation of human rights are a few that quickly come to mind. But how many of us really know or can feel the motivating power of that dream for a better life held by the young seamstress willing to work 12 hours a day/6 days a week to earn $30.00 a month, half of which she will save to insure an even better life for her child. Is it mandatory for us to force our standards and wages as the benchmark when in her country and situation she is better of than most and no less satisfied with her life than we are?

And here lies again the conundrum- we willing and frequently buy and discard the products of that young lady’s cheap labor, often paid for by money borrowed from her savings, all the while complaining that she is hurting our future, all the result of globalization. Of course she would love to have our house, our cars, our clothes, our iPod and our trinkets and, in exchange for the chance to someday realize that dream, she is willing to make them for us under conditions we find demeaning, even letting us borrow her money to buy them, because she has seen what is possible with sacrifice and savings.

My question would be have we, the American worker, reached the end of our dream for a better life? Have we become so addicted to conspicuous consumption that we are no longer willing or able to make sacrifices? Are we no longer able to think of ways to create new and better products? Are we so selfish that we are unwilling to share our dream with the rest of the world? Are there no cures for cancer, AIDS or malaria? Is this the best we can do and have we reached the point where we feel we need to defend it, at all cost, even to the brink of war if that is what it takes in the end? Or has the sock factory just moved again and is it time for the workers to learn a new skill, a skill that will allow them to become more valuable than before?

Karaoke, Khakis and the Art of the Deal: A Businessman's Guide to Karaoke in Asia

Imagine this.

Two middle-aged “senior” executives, their inhibitions blissfully sleeping under the influence of way too much Chivas and green tea, throw all decorum aside as their vocal chords strain to unleash a heretofore never achieved destruction of "Unchained Melody". Next up, an equally inspired trio with a collective sound strikingly similar to "nails on a chalkboard" who are tenacious in their belief their rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", despite their serious melodic challenges and equally poor grasp of English, is the real reason the audience was wildly applauding at the end. As one looks around the packed room, there seems no end in sight to the horrors of sound that might follow as patrons at every table are busily browsing through a seemingly infinite directory of tunes from around the globe, from every genre and generation, searching for that special song they need to sing tonight.

But imagination is optional. Just visit any karaoke lounge in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hanoi or Seoul almost any night of the week and it is possible to witness firsthand this shameless display of raw talent and emotion. Welcome to karaoke Asian style!

Modern karaoke is reputed to have originated in Japan in the early 1970's and is arguably the most popular pastime in Asia. Karaoke has been pegged by many so-called experts on Asian society and social psychology as the much needed relief valve to vent one's feelings of joy, frustration, anger and pain, whether in love or in life; an act normally considered culturally taboo in daily life in Asia. Coming from Japan, a country noted for its lemming-like conformity in hiding emotions, this idea of karaoke as therapy is not so strange. Whether or not karaoke is indeed a psychic healing force remains debatable but one thing is for sure. Day in and night out, whether at home, on the road, or in the literally hundreds of thousands of KTV joints flourishing in the region, karaoke, or at least the karaoke as practiced by our Asian friends, has certainly taken entertainment to a whole new level.

At the commercial level, there are karaoke venues targeting every conceivable subset of society-from young and old, the rich or poor, the prim or promiscuous. My particularly favorite, or at least most familiar, business model targets predominately male patrons, especially those on expense accounts. Set amid a backdrop of high end electronics, plush leather sofas and muted lighting, one can experience this cathartic release of emotion surrounded by a harem of nubile cuties, dressed in low cut black, beige or red chiffon evening gowns clinging to their youthful curves like saran wrap; their principle purpose being to light cigarettes, mix drinks, and shower their gravel voiced patrons with profuse and highly exaggerated compliments on their singing skills and manliness.

Besides a seemingly endless array of commercial establishments, almost every home, from the lowly peasant dwellings of China and Vietnam to the penthouses and palaces of Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, is equipped with at least one device capable of putting the wails of the neighbor's cat in heat to shame. With a virtually bottomless price floor for consumer electronics and the proliferation of low cost DVD burners throughout Asia, the pleasure of one's own stage on which to warble to their heart's contentment is now within reach of anyone with access to electricity. From the young and young-at-heart "wannabes" in Tokyo covering the latest pop hits in the chic clubs in Roppongi and Ginza to those old Red Army warriors in Sichuan wailing the heart rendering lyrics of "Ostmanthus Flowers Blooming Everywhere in August" at family dinners, almost no social outing in Asia is complete without at least one round of singing, often evolving into an all night affairs. Karaoke is as deeply engrained in the fabric of society in Asia as khakis are in the business casual wardrobe of America's business elite.

But to a businessman like myself, the most intriguing aspect of karaoke in Asia, particularly when practiced in the man friendly environment described above, is its pervasive influence in successfully concluding a business deal, something I would like to call the ktv-Quotient. Let's consider the following not so hypothetical situation.

Company A has a superior product, excellent after-sales support, the best value and all the trappings of a reliable business partner. Company A's sales effort is led by a seasoned professional who is at the top of his game in every aspect.

Company A's team, although highly skilled in the art of selling, has a very low ktv-quotient and would have a hard time finding their way around a karaoke lounge even with a GPS system.

Company B's product, pricing and service are just so-so, in fact, in some aspects, border on inferior. Its sales pitch and presentation is not that persuasive nor does its team really understand the customer's requirements.

Company B's team has an awesome ktv-quotient, with each member holding a wallet full of VIP cards and all of its staff on a first name basis with the staff at every KTV in town.

Under these conditions, Company B will almost always win the deal, particularly when the time gap between the last visit to KTV hosted by Company B for the customer's predominately male decision makers and the contract signing by the customer's predominantly male decision makers is less than one week. Now why is that? What exactly is it power of this ktv-quotient in closing the deal?

Well, I cannot say for certain, but I think I have a pretty good idea. To share this with you I would like to liberally paraphrase the thoughts of Samantha Culp, found in an interesting article in Asia Sentinel about her experiences as a hostess in Japan. From my own experience and observations I think her insight is spot on.

"Drinking is a huge part of the Asian business culture itself where a staggering percentage of the male populace "staggers" home each night (pun intended). Karaoke and Hostess bars are an important part of this culture that requires obligatory drinking with colleagues after work, and getting wasted with partners to seal a business deal. Drinking comes to signify trust, relaxation and a certain absolution from any adult responsibility. When inebriated, men are almost not accountable for their actions, whether those entail attempting to cop a feel on the train, or to passing out in public after hurling chunks all over the subway platform.

Looking at the clients in the club, the majority are middle-aged, married with children, and in the middle of pretty conventional lives, which begs the question, why were they here? What were they looking for?

Of course the bevy of beautiful and sexy young attendants play no small part. Yes, they want the fantasy of sex, but also they want the fantasy of romance, of a "perfect" ageless girlfriend, always ready for drinking, flirtation and fun, but who disappears at the end of the night, no strings attached. They want a world apart from the daily grind of the working world, where they could be simultaneously children and kings of the castle. Especially in the world of salarymen or corporate staff, where most were not as powerful or as rich as they had trained to be, they wanted a place where they could still command awe and respect, if only by spending $20.00 on a dish of stale Pringles or impressing their peers with an earthy performance of "Feelings" that would make Morris Albert proud"

So there it is. The ktv-quotient is 1 part play, 1 part fantasy and 2 parts, in the immortal words of Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Those late deliveries, mistaken invoices and shoddy goods can all be worked out later between friends because in spite of everything, the good intent was there to begin with wasn't it? And we are friends aren't we (?), because only friends would allow friends to get drunk and sing karaoke.

So as karaoke's recent rise in popularity in the US suggests, along with its supporting cast of the likes of "American Idol" and the "Singing Bee", it may only be a matter of time before your local latte hangout not only offers WIFI but also the tools you need to work out the kinks in your version of "My Way". With that in mind, here are some thoughts for you road warriors out there to ponder. Will those polished and well-practiced PowerPoint presentations extolling your features and benefits soon be subordinated in the laptop to the list of latest hot lyrics? Are those front row seats for the Knick's games soon to be replaced by a corporate table at Sing Sing? Is the HR department already looking for a reliable measure of ktv-Quotient to add to their immense battery of screening tests? After all, this is the age of globalizing best practices isn't it?

Sorry, I have to go now and I will leave you to mull over those possibilities. It is my time to work on that technique of hand cupping the mic to maximize the vocal modulations. My coach really thinks I am only a few weeks away from nailing a killer version of "Summer Time".

Have you heard this lately?

Is globalization harmful or helpful? That seems to be on the mind of many these days. Some would have us believe that Globalization is the new and improved version of colonization, with all the nasty implications of the latter, only more sophisticated in their presentation. Still others tout it as the foundation to a new world order of peace and prosperity for all. Thomas Friedman's seminal work, "The World is Flat" has certainly emerged as the most popular pro-globalization view in most intellectual circles and does indeed make some compelling arguments in favor of globalization. From a more parochial viewpoint, there is a sizable constituent in the US that contend globalization is stealing jobs out from under us and jeopardizing the future of our country. Other nations invert this logic and argue that globalization is rapidly eroding their security as inefficient state owned companies collapse under the pressure of competition, drawing support from the hundreds of thousands of displaced workers that result.

Is globalization the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing or is it the final step on the road to a universally better global society? The answer of course depends largely on whom you ask, as this is certainly one of the most emotionally charged and hotly debated issues of our time, but perhaps even more important, the answer I believe depends greatly on “when” you ask. I would argue that globalization is in fact a dual edged sword, whose harm or good can only be judged by its long-term benefit to mankind in general. Clearly, in the short run, its role as a powerful agent of change is a threat to many, and the short-term effects can be disruptive, as most people are threatened by or frightened of change, and to the worker who just lost his job, or the store owner who can no longer compete, or the farmer with no market, the immediate impact is in fact bad, and I believe that these short term economic consequences so easy to personalize are behind most of the support for the negative view. Indeed, it is possible to build strong and compelling arguments, no matter which side you hold as the impact of globalization is fraught with contradictions.

From those rabidly opposed to globalization, no matter their politics, religion or race, one reoccurring theme is the real villains are multinational corporations, often American, in no small part due to the undeniable fact you can enjoy that culinary treat called a "Big Mac", in almost any corner of the world today. This emotionally charged view contends that these corporations are simply fronts by which a few powerful nations impose their political will and cultural norms at the expense of others under the banner of consumerism, destroying local cultures and traditions, even national sovereignty. I find this view particularly interesting. Clearly, icons of American consumer culture, the pinnacle of consumerism, are apparent everywhere we look in the world and this fact alone is, in my viewpoint, the most often cited argument against globalization. But is that fair? For those of you who share my disdain for processed cheese food sandwiched between two slabs of ground meat products and bathed in French dressing before being tucked in a sesame bun, maybe yes. But for the implications this is harmful to world order, probably not. Globalization is not just about having a McDonalds in every city, town and village on the globe; it is about a universal improvement in institutions like healthcare, education and most importantly, the ability to freely communication and share ideas across borders and cultures.

Today's world citizens, on whole, are better informed and better educated than at any time in history. The power of the Internet allows information, good and bad, to pass around the globe at the speed of light, and the development of the World Wide Web has made the dissemination of this information to practically anyone possible. At the same time, rapid advances in microelectronics and wireless data transmission technology has put this power of communication in the hands of more and more world citizens. Perhaps the most powerful image of this is the cell phone you are likely to find in the pocket of the lowly Vietnamese farmer plowing his rice fields with an ox. We live in an age of information and this more than anything is the real long-term value and positive contribution of globalization. As the citizens of the world are increasingly exposed to the choices that exists, even those as debatable in value as a Big Mac, they chose what they believe offers the best value, whether in real terms or the emotional experience that goes with it. Those who believe that only the clever and devious marketers of Madison Avenue fuel this phenomenon should be chastised for such a narrow minded and condescending attitude. By nature, human beings are the most rational species, and perhaps the only one capable of considering first the possible outcomes of our decisions. We want a better life and an even better life for our children and their children. Ask any well-informed air traveler in the remote areas of the globe whether he or she prefers Airbus to Tupelov and why? The answer, poor maintenance and bad pilots aside, is it is safer. The basis of that answer is that traveler’s access to legitimate worldwide statistics of the reliability of each and the fact there is, in fact, a choice. Despite all of its warts, globalization, or perhaps more exactly, the globalization of information, is allowing these kind of decisions to happen faster and more frequently than at any time in history, as the quality of not only products and services, but social institutions such as healthcare and education is universally improved and our choices are expanded. This has to be good for everyone in the long run.

Protecting my tomatoes from Bambi-Is building a fence the best answer?

The decision to erect fences and barriers is never a simple one, and history will show that even those as monumental as the Great Wall in the end proved to be scalable. It is almost reprehensible to me that even as the celebration of the collapse of that wall in Berlin remains fresh in our minds, many in the US are debating the merits of building one of our own in the name of stopping illegal immigrants from entering. Do fences really make good neighbors? It sort of reminds me of my own battle to protect my god given right to home grown tomatoes from the menacing deer that lurk in the shadows at night.

The most gratifying gift of home gardening is without doubt that colorful and luscious seedpod known as the tomato. Whether you say /temeto/ and I say /tamato/ aside, there is universal agreement that the taste of a juicy ripe tomato fresh from the vine is a divine sensation. Industrialized tomatoes that grace our supermarket produce section may look the part, but the taste and texture will never hold a candle to that of this goddess of the garden. In fact, the yearn for that mouthful of flavor yielded up from a homegrown tomato is so overwhelming that it is not surprising to see a handful of tomato vines gracing even the smallest of urban lawns.

For most of the summer, I have been carefully cultivating and nurturing three vines, each a magnificent species of this mouthwatering delight, the firm and robust plum tomato, the sweet and diminutive grape tomato, and the crown jewel of the tomato kingdom, the heirloom tomato. And for most of the summer, and again today, I find myself boiling up in rage and savage anger as I awake to discover that another (insert your favorite and most damning stream of expletives) deer has enjoyed the fruits of my labor as I find the vines stripped of the crop ready to be harvested.

What the hell? Deer don't even like tomatoes do they? Well, it seems the ones in my area have certainly acquired a very nuanced and veracious appetite for nightshade's close cousin! First, it was a general taste, unsophisticated and raw, taking out leaves, stems and fruit regardless of size or ripeness. Then a degree of selectivity took over, as their appetite tended more to the firmer and larger fruits, still far from ripe but well on their way to reaching their rightful place on my plate. Now, to my utter astonishment, my local deer friends have become tomato gourmands, choosing with the same attention to ripeness as myself, taking only the ripest and most flavorful, usually just a few hours before the time I had anticipated doing the same. Damn, I can't believe I actually cried for Bambi when that shot range out through the woods!

I know what you are thinking, why does the fool not put up a fence? After all, it is not like there was no warning. I had thought about this already but my notion is that fences are an eyesore and disrupt the natural beauty and sanctity of nature. Blighting my manicured and lush suburban landscape with a barrier is simply not an option. Sure, there are other options, applying a healthy dose of coyote pee is one that most comes to mind. But this is my land, I pay the taxes, I hold the deed. Why should I have to resort to such extreme measures as applying feral urine in constant and liberal doses to protect what is rightfully mine? Better still, it is my constitutional right to hold and to use firearms to protect my property and self isn't it? Maybe the solution is to bust a cap in Bambi's ass. Now that would send a pretty strong message to my furry little cervine friends not to poach in my garden anymore!

As the rage diminishes with each sip of coffee and the nicotine cranks up my level of dopamine, a few threads of reason slowly entwine with my more vicious thoughts. Ok, there are plenty of fresh tomatoes this time of year. In fact, there are 3 or 4 local farm stands nearby chocked full of fresh off the vine tomatoes in every hue of red and yellow and equally tasty as mine must have been. Maybe the deer are actually hungry, considering the 1,000 or so new 4-bedroom, 3-bath French Country estates that have sprung up recently, consuming a lot of space that served as their old feeding grounds before. Perhaps it wasn't even a deer to begin with since ground hogs, rabbits and even squirrels have equally known propensity for the occasional ravaging romp through the garden as well.

As I set under this beautiful late summer sky reading the latest arguments raging back and forth on immigration and its impact on our lives that seem to consume the headlines these days, I pause for a moment to reflect. Is my battle with Bambi not unlike that equally vexing battle with a tide of immigrants seeking a better life or at least a more satisfying meal? Is the solution really to seal our nation's borders with fences and barricades? Could we not also find a more reasoned and rational approach to this growing, but far from life threatening, problem? Perhaps the same monies and effort directed at sealing our borders could be directed at fixing the root cause of our problems in society today. Are the waves of illegal immigrants really responsible for disrupting society or is it that our already weak and inadequate social institutions are just more rapidly reaching the tipping point of collapse as a result, a collapse that was inevitable?

Ok Bambi, I am not so sorry I cried for you anymore. Next time try the zucchini as well; it is a wonderful companion to those Roma's you find so tasty. Its likely other's would rot if not for me to buy them, as every summer brings an abundance that is never fully consumed, and this year's crop is better than ever since there were more people to tend to and pick the crop than before.