The world we live in today is going through tremendous changes in economics, technology, culture, politics, etc. The effects of the changes are not so clear, as it is difficult to predict how each sector will affect the other and how society will be affected. However, the analysis of past and present events provides experts with some information to interpret society's future reaction to different transformations. Globalization can be seen as a process in which societies around the world unite and expand through the combination of different forces. This article will explore the effects of globalization on U.S. businesses, U.S. society and the U.S. economy, and the implications for other countries in the postindustrial world. How It All Began As Thomas Friedman explains in his book “The World is Flat,” globalization began “when Columbus set sail, opening up trade between the Old World and the New World. Subsequently, “multinational corporations became global in markets and labor” and around 2000 individuals entered the global world. Today, individuals and small groups easily enter the global marketplace, collaborate and compete – a process described by Friedman as “the flattening of the world.” the world tremendously. The United States was the only remaining “superpower” in the world, gaining a new status, which gave it political freedom and helped push it towards a free global market. US multinationals began entering European markets, and many US companies began investing in research and development (R&D) in countries such as China and Japan. The flattening forcesWhen Friedman talks about s...... middle of paper... Friedman, Thomas (2007). The World is Flat (3rd ed.). New York: Picador / Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Netafim Ltd (2008). A “Growing Solutions” Company, (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2008, from http://www.netafim.com/About_Us/Rotblatt, Shogui. Telephone interview. January 31, 2008National Science Foundation (2008). Science and Engineering Indicators 2008. Research and Development: Essential Foundations for U.S. Competitiveness in the Global Economy. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsb0803/nsb0803.pdfWubs, Ben (2007). Comparison of US multinationals in a Dutch business environment: IBM, Dow and Sara Lee. Retrieved January 25, 2008 from http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:1hsulLYjprYJ:www.unige.ch/ses/istec/EBHA2007/papers/Wubs.pdf+the+effects+of+US+companies+ by +ather+business+global+environment&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us