Reply #9: The main problem [View All]

[mountebank]

with Friedman's articles of late is their apparent break with reality. For the last several months he has been obsessively focusing on the most trivial subjects, like a conversation with one person, and using that as the basis for sweeping conclusions about our policy in the Middle East.

I don't deny that the guy has a lot of knowledge about the Middle East, which is why it is so perplexing and annoying that he refuses to use any of it, prefering instead to rely on "human interest" stories - the type you might find on your local news channel.

Perhaps it's hard to see a war you endorsed turn into such a nightmare and bloodbath for both your own country and countries you claim to have an interest in.

I'm not saying we should pull out of Iraq. But we should bring the U.N. in. Friedman's vision for the Middle East is always seen through the lens of Western culture - specifically American culture. This is the truly objectionable part.

Rebuilding Iraq should be a world effort, not just an American responsibility.