Does the "frictionless" global cooperation depicted in the book underestimate the resistance from nationalism, trade protectionism, and geopolitical conflicts?

Correct, "grossly underestimated" is an apt description

This question brilliantly hits the pain point of globalization over the past two decades. Let me explain with a simple metaphor:

Imagine the "frictionless" global cooperation depicted in The World Is Flat as a global highway—designed to be perfectly smooth, with no traffic lights. On this road, technology, the internet, and capital race like speeding cars, flowing freely from one country to another with near-zero obstacles. In theory, this maximizes efficiency, allowing everyone to reach the destination of "shared prosperity" at top speed.

This blueprint was compelling and even seemed achievable during certain periods (like the early 2000s). Reality, however, proved far more complex. The "frictions" you mentioned are precisely the unforeseen—yet inevitable—road conditions disrupting this highway:

1. Nationalism: The "Speed Bumps" of Emotion and Identity

Highways may be efficient, but they cut through diverse "neighborhoods." Nationalism emerges when residents along the road assert, "Hey, this is our turf!"

"Us" vs. "Them": Humans aren’t purely economic beings. We have emotions and deep attachments to our culture and homeland. When waves of foreign goods, workers, and cultural influences flood in, many feel their identity and livelihoods are threatened.
Shielding Home Interests: This "us-first" sentiment fuels demands: "Why should foreign interests race through our backyard, stealing our jobs? We must protect our own." These invisible speed bumps force societies to slam the brakes and ask: "Is globalization truly benefiting us?"

2. Protectionism: The "Toll Booths and Roadblocks" for Domestic Interests

If nationalism is a psychological speed bump, protectionism is a physical barricade.

Tariffs Are "Toll Booths": When foreign goods overwhelm local industries and jobs vanish, nations often impose steep "entrance fees" (tariffs) to raise import prices. This artificially boosts local competitiveness.
Subsidies and Barriers Are "Roadblocks": Countries also "refuel their own cars" (subsidies) while forcing "foreign vehicles" through labyrinthine inspections and standards (trade barriers).

The World Is Flat assumed nations would rationally dismantle all tolls and barriers for maximum flow. Yet when domestic players risk being pushed off the road, many will block the path rather than surrender.

3. Geopolitical Strife: The "Traffic Control" of Great-Power Rivalry

This is the deadliest friction—transcending economics to become a contest of security and power.

Highway Ownership Battles: Major powers (e.g., the U.S. and China) now vie for control not to accelerate traffic, but to dictate who commands the road.
"Safety First" Detours: Nation A may suspect Nation B’s "cars" (e.g., critical tech) conceal "surveillance devices" threatening national security. So A enforces "traffic control"—banning B’s vehicles from key routes (like semiconductor supply chains).
Collapsing Trust: Mutual suspicion turns smooth cooperation into guarded maneuvering. The highway can now be shut or rerouted overnight over geopolitical tensions. The sudden severing of Russia-West ties post-Ukraine exemplifies this.

In Summary

The World Is Flat isn’t wrong—it powerfully captures the flattening force of technology. Yet its perspective resembles an engineer admiring smooth pavement while ignoring drivers: complex, emotional, self-interested humans.

Ideal vs. Reality: The homo economicus pursues efficiency; real humans crave identity and security as homo socialis and homo nationalis.
Flattening vs. Crumpling: Technology may smooth patches of the world, but the broader terrain remains rugged—dotted with the hills of nationalism, the gorges of protectionism, and the jagged dead ends of geopolitics.

Thus, stating that these frictions were "grossly underestimated" is utterly precise. Technological forces relentlessly flatten our world, while human nature and national interests persistently crumple it back. This tug-of-war shapes our fractured reality.