The economic crisis and Friedman's book

Well, I've progressed just a little way through the Lexus and the Olive Tree book, and I'm really glued to it.  The premise of the book thus far is a description of how the globalization system replaced the Cold War system, and the ramifications that have happened internationally as a result.

One interesting thing I've noticed is that Friedman published this book in 1999, but already almost ten years later a lot of his main points have come to fruition.  One example of that is the current economic crisis.  It is a global, complex issue... which is much different than when these types of things have happened in years past (such as the Great Depression).  Bailouts for automakers are all over the news right now, and I found an interesting quote in this book that directly applies to that situation.  Friedman wrote, "... dramatic, industry-transforming innovations are taking place today faster and faster.  Thanks to these technological breakthroughs, the speed by which your latest invention can be made obsolete or turned into a commodity is now lighting quick.  Therefore, only the paranoid, only those who are constantly looking over their shoulders to see who is creating something new that will destroy them and then staying just one step ahead of them, will survive.  Those countries that are most willing to let capitalism quickly destroy inefficient companies, so that money can be freed up and directed to more innovative ones, will thrive in the era of globalization.  Those which rely on their governments to protect them from such creative destruction will fall behind in this era."  I know that this is a very heated and controversial subject in America right now, but it does appear that many companies that are not keeping up are lining up for government help.