Thomas Friedman: Fraud

[Stevendsmith]

Thomas Friedman’s apologies and retroactive justifications for BushCo’s phonied up war are getting increasingly more ridiculous and desperate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/22/opinion/22FRIE.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fThomas%20L%20Friedman

Here’s an example of Friedman’s nuanced approach to foreign policy post 9-11:

“Sometimes smashing someone in the face is necessary to signal others that they will be held accountable for the intolerance they incubate.”

Way to win over those hearts and minds, Tom. Perhaps if there were less “face smashing” over the past century, we would not live in a world that is so hostile to the US and it’s shortening list of allies.

Friedman also argues that Al Qaeda and Saddam “emerge from the same pathology of widespread repression, economic stagnation and fear of cultural decline."

I would think the Bush administration and its allies could rightly be included in that same pathology. They certainly meet all three criteria.

Friedman and the “Tony Blair Democrats” can take their “third way” and shove it as far as I’m concerned. To assess BushCo and its invasion of Iraq as anything but a criminal fraud is ridiculous and irresponsible.

[GreenArrow]

1. he's a paid propagandist

nothing more.

[wtmusic]

2. Another armchair vigilante

Very tiresome.

[tigereye]

3. not sure I agree

although he is certainly in love with the sound of his own voice, he travels a lot to get needed perspective and can be quite thoughtful, particularly about the Middle East. While I sometime think he sounds like an apologist for some * policies, he also raises good questions.

Sometimes it is important to really listen to those we disagree with, and see if there is something to be learned. I really dislike the tendency to trash or discount all media types/ writers/, particularly those with whom we disagree, with nasty labels.

[wtmusic]

5. Would like to know

what good questions you believe Friedman raises? I haven't heard one in a long, long time...

[doubleyoi]

4. well...not really a fraud...

Freidman's been going on and on about the M.E. for YEARS. He is probably the only mainstream columnist who has done extensive traveling and research there. Sadly, I think, he came to the conclusion (a little arrogantly IMHO) that it must be re-made, with help from the US, into something better, more tolerant, more open to the outside world. He also decided there were only two ways this was going to happen. Either we were going to stop our heavy reliance on their oil and really force them to address supporting terrorism, propping up fundamentalists, allowing young Middle Eastern people to be schooled to hate Americfans etc, or we were going to have blow part of it up and start over. As we all know, as a nation we went with option B(ush). Now he's kind of stuck. But I don't think he's a fraud.

[Valjean]

8. Dictatorial state ????

There is one country in the world that props up more dictators than anyone else. This country also has a well documented history of destabilizing democratic governments.

It's not the USSR. It's not Cuba. It's not Saudi Arabia.

IT'S US, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thomas Friedman and Noam Chomsky are two of the most celebrated thinkers of our time. Of the two, Friedman makes a LOT more money. Unfortunately, only Chomsky seems to do any thinking.

If we want to make significant progress with freedom in the world, we can start by leaving Hugo Chavez ALONE. We could also end the drug war which would stop the flow of BILLIONS of dollars to guerilla groups both leftist and fascist.

Then, we would start using a LOT more reusable energy. That would cut funding to the most profound force in global terrorism and destabilization: Oil Companies. They are the dirtiest force on the planet. They rape and pillage the environment. They overthrow unfriendly governments. They stymie any and all efforts to develop alternative forms of energy and mass transportation.

Friedman can shove that olive tree into the Lexus. Then he can shove the Lexus straight up his ass!!!!

[jdunn]

6. Don't forget that Friedman...

is a hack with a tenuous grasp of simplistic metaphor; admittedly that's more than one can say for most of his kind. We have to imagine that Friedman is a slice of American cheese; neatly packaged and of honest appearance, but ultimately sterile, bland, and deeply disappointing. Anyone care to extend that metaphor into further irrelevancy?

[Valjean]

7. And they wonder ...

“Sometimes smashing someone in the face is necessary to signal others that they will be held accountable for the intolerance they incubate.”

And they wonder why the world thinks the US is a bully.

For the record, the first one to do the smashing is the bully.