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1、TheLexusandtheOliveTreeCH3Jerusalem.December29.1998:ShimonBitonplaceshiscellularphoneuptotheWesternWallsoarelativeinFrancecansayaprayerattheholysite(PhotographbyMenahemKahana.AgenceFrance-Presse)OnceyourecognizethatglobalizationistheinternationalsystemthathasreplacedtheCo
2、ldWarsystem,isthisallyouneedtoknowtoexplainworldaffairstoday?Notquite.Globalizationiswhatisnew.Andiftheworldweremadeofjustmicrochipsandmarkets,youcouldprobablyrelyonglobalizationtoexplainalmosteverything.But,alas,theworldismadeofmicrochipsandmarketsandmenandwomen,withallt
3、heirpeculiarhabits,traditions,longingsandunpredictableaspirations.SoworldaffairstodaycanonlybeexplainedastheinteractionbetweenwhatisasnewasanInternetWebsiteandwhatisasoldasagnarledolivetreeonthebanksoftheriverJordan.IfirststartedthinkingaboutthiswhileridingonatraininJapan
4、inMay1992,eatingasushiboxdinnerandtravelingat180milesperhour.IwasinTokyoonareportingassignmentandhadarrangedtovisittheLexusluxurycarfactoryoutsideToyotaCity,southofTokyo.ItwasoneofthemostmemorabletoursI'veevertaken.Atthattime,thefactorywasproducing300Lexussedanseachday,ma
5、deby66humanbeingsand310robots.FromwhatIcouldtell,thehumanbeingsweretheremostlyforqualitycontrol.Onlyafewofthemwereactuallyscrewinginboltsorsolderingpartstogether.Therobotsweredoingallthework.Therewereevenrobotictrucksthathauledmaterialsaroundthefloorandcouldsensewhenahuma
6、nwasintheirpathandwould"beep,beep,beep"atthemtomove.IwasfascinatedwatchingtherobotthatappliedtherubbersealthatheldinplacethefrontwindshieldofeachLexus.Therobotarmwouldneatlypaintthehotmoltenrubberinaperfectrectanglearoundthewindow.ButwhatIlikedmostwasthatwhenitfinishedits
7、applicationtherewasalwaysatinydropofrubberlefthangingfromthetipoftherobot'sfinger-likethedropoftoothpastethatmightbeleftatthetopofthetubeafteryou'vesqueezeditontoyourtoothbrush.AttheLexusfactory,though,thisrobotarmwouldswingaroundinawideloopuntilthetipmetatiny,almostinvis
8、iblemetalwirethatwouldperfectlysliceoffthatlastsmalldropofhotblackrubber-leavingnothingleftover.
