“There is no alternative” (in the words of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) to globalization and the primacy of the multinational corporation. According to the defenders of this status quo philosophy-dubbed TINA-there is only one road to economic success: get large multinationals to locate in your local community, and export your goods as widely as possible all across the globe.

Because of their huge scale and international reach, these multinational retailers and manufacturers are seen by TINA proponents as being more efficient and profitable, more able to deliver better prices for their goods, and more able provide jobs in the communities that they are located in. To TINA proponents locally owned small businesses are simply quaint remnants of the past, no longer able to compete in the global economy.

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005. You can watch the full length video here.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

The most brilliant minds on the planet are gathering in Montery, CA. for a 4 day conference, by invitation only.

Imagine a gathering where the worlds top entrepreneurs, designers, scientist and artists present astonishing new ideas. Remarkable ideas from every area of knowledge. Great ideas brought about by passion, ideas that have the power to change the world. What could be called a Cirque Du Soleil of the mind and heart.

People from 26 different countries come together to explore. Something magical happens; there’s nothing more exciting than a bold new idea.

Where they explore ideas to make our future world a much better place. You can say hello to the guy next to you and it could be Al Gore, the finders of Google and Amazon and Aero Space Engineers.