Level playing field game

On the other hand, if we look at the question from the prism of the have-nots, it may be the only answer to bridging social inequities across the world. In my view the question is only of academic interest. With technology driving markets and inflection points being reached at ever-increasing speed, turning the clock back might well be impossible.

In many cases, one cannot even say where a product was manufactured. The raw material might have come from one country, the processes might have been carried out in another, the testing in yet another, and the packaging and so on in a fourth or fifth country. This is already a reality in several sectors like automobiles, electronics, and of course, software. It is a reality that is hard to digest, particularly for countries that have enjoyed economic prosperity without question.

The sooner they understand the inevitability of it all and adapt to it, the sooner we may yet see a just and equitable world order.

A level playing field is not defined solely by access to financing, information, and markets. To have a level playing field all competitors need to play the same game with roughly the same rules. We aren't there yet. American companies aren't currently structured to compete with China and are not thinking about competing with India. Our corporate leaders and the investment community are focused on short-term results. America's companies are working for Wall Street including institutional investors , which is working on behalf of individual investors primarily to support retirement accounts.

We are not looking at China and India as competition, but as profit centers to improve our short-term return on investment. While America chases its tail each quarter, economically speaking, China and India are taking over both our industrial and service economies.

If we work to ensure that we develop and make more of our products domestically, then export and protect them internationally, the jobs and economic growth will come. Our current retirement investment model and rate of savings or our ROI expectations also need realignment, but that is another topic. When your trading partners don't believe in human rights for their own citizens, they certainly won't look out for foreign companies.

As long as countries like China are able to pirate our products on a large scale, there won't be a level playing field. We do need to keep the playing field level by holding our international partners accountable to higher standards now that they have tasted American capitalism.

But we do need to use our leverage while we still have it to make sure that everyone plays by the same standards. First of all, the phrase "the world is flat" is somewhat annoying used in this context as its common elicitation is a reference to the fact that the earth's horizon would eventually end.

Not as positive a title as it could be and somewhat confusing. But on the topic of creating fair opportunities for all in the world by the removal of geography or proximity as a restraint to someone's well being, I think this can be very positive for the sheer fact that:.

People's affiliations will start to change too, and I think that while there will be new patriotism, people will continue to build new affiliations and allegiances in ways we've never seen before with people and organizations that are not geography-specific.

What concerns me is the state of our governing and regulating commerce. It has not evolved fast enough nor do we have the right agencies or systems in place to deal with the equilibration. Before answering that question, which could be yes, I think the world first needs to strive to reduce the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

We humans seem to care more about what others can take away from us rather than what we can give. I believe the haves of the world have a similar attitude and take the developments of some of the have-nots like China and India as a big threat.

Of course, there is no denying that they could be threats, but is it the most important concern for the haves? Maybe the most important concern of the haves should be maintaining their living standards and not just expecting and aiming for the linear increase in worldly comforts as has been the case till now. There will be no level playing field if the obsession of the haves is to maintain the distance they have with the have-nots.

Perhaps we have taken the metaphor of a playing field too far. I'm not sure it's possible to have a worldwide, industry-wide playing field. A soccer field hosts only two teams at a time. When my children play, my five-year-old plays with the four- to six-year-olds and my seven-year-old plays with the seven- to eleven-year-olds. Boys and girls are together in these groups, but by high school they play on separate teams. Why not play all ages and genders together?

Because it isn't possible to create a set of rules whereby all children can compete, learn, grow, and find it worthwhile to play the game. It's time for a new look at international and cross-industry competition and our definition of "fair" and "equitable. There is a lot of talk these days about a level playing field, sparked in part by Thomas L.

Friedman's bestseller, The World is Flat. But what is a level playing field in the world today, and does everyone play by the same rules? Summing Up This month's column seems to have struck a sore spot with many respondents who question whether the term, "level playing field" even serves a useful purpose. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

The level playing field agreements cover billions of pounds worth of business now and in the future. The UK has certainly won the theoretical right to break away from EU rules, but it will have to make a careful calculation about whether such moves will be either necessary or worthwhile. It has a tariff-free trade deal with its largest economic partner for now, but there is no guarantee that it will stay that way.

On the other hand, it's not always easy to prove that fair competition is being distorted - or the extent to which a change in regulations might be responsible for any distortion. So the role of the new arbitration system will be crucial, and could become controversial. It will look into various aspects of how the relationship develops in the future, and will seek to resolve disputes.

Both sides also have the right to call for a formal review of the entire agreement if they think it isn't working well, and there will be an automatic review anyway after five years. That means a future UK government, which thinks market access is more important than the current government's notion of sovereignty, could choose to interpret the deal in a different way.

So, as a political issue, it's not going to go away. Get in touch. Read more from Reality Check. Image source, Getty Images. But it gets to the heart of what Brexit is all about. What does level playing field mean? What's in the Brexit deal?

To schedule a custom volunteer opportunity, please contact us at info levelingtheplayingfield. Keep in mind you can help us out no matter where you live! We rely on donations as well as our volunteers.

Every day, donations of sporting equipment are dropped off at our warehouse and sent out into the community. In order to sort and organize all of these donations, we rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers will inventory and sort sports equipment donations from our intake bins. Volunteers will also help staff maintain the organization of the warehouse space by sorting through current inventory and making sure all equipment is in good condition.

A basic understanding of sports equipment is preferred but not required. Typical volunteer shifts last two hours. This opportunity is open to individuals and groups.

The age minimum to volunteer is 10 years old. All volunteers under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Mitzvah Project? Eagle Scout Project?