Thomas Friedman (The New York Times): War of Ideas, Part 4

[Jack Rabbit]

From The New York Times
Dated Sunday January 18

War of Ideas, Part 4
By Thomas Friedman

Let's not mince words. American policy today toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is insane.
Can anyone look at what is happening — Palestinians, gripped by a collective madness, committing suicide, and Israelis, under a leadership completely adrift, building more settlements so fanatical Jews can live in the heart of Palestinian-populated areas — and not conclude the following: That these two nations are locked in an utterly self-destructive vicious cycle that threatens Israel's long-term viability, poisons America's image in the Middle East, undermines any hope for a Palestinian state and weakens pro-American Arab moderates. No, you can't draw any other conclusion. Yet the Bush team, backed up by certain conservative Jewish and Christian activist groups, believes that the correct policy is to do nothing. Well, that is my definition of insane.
Israel must get out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as soon as possible and evacuate most of the settlements . . . .
Why? First, because the Arab-Muslim world, which for so long has been on vacation from globalization, modernization and liberalization, is realizing that vacation is over. There is not enough oil wealth anymore to cushion or employ the huge population growth happening in the region . . . .
Second, three dangerous trends are converging around Israel. One is a massive population explosion across the Arab world. The second is the worst interpersonal violence ever between Israelis and Palestinians. And the third is an explosion of Arab multimedia — from Al Jazeera to the Internet.

Read more.

[number6]

1. looks like a rough ride ahead

.

[GabysPoppy]

2. you snipped the last paragraph too soon Jack

radicalizing it and melding in the heads of young Arabs and Muslims the notion that the biggest threat to their future is J.I.A. — "Jews, Israel and America."

snip

There is the possibility some may not read the piece in its entirety and not grasp the significance of Friedman's thoughts.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. For your satisfaction, the remainder of the paragraph is . . .

What's happening is that this Arab media explosion is feeding the images of this Israeli-Palestinian violence to this Arab population explosion — radicalizing it and melding in the heads of young Arabs and Muslims the notion that the biggest threat to their future is J.I.A. — "Jews, Israel and America."

Since Friedman's piece is short, I decided to clip the paragraphs as I did to leave his general points available and leaving his specific ones to those who choose to read his piece.

I hope most people choose to read it.

[GabysPoppy]

4. Thank you

so do I

[bemildred]

5. I saw this in Editorials yesterday.

Considering the source, it is quite interesting.
I mean the source is interesting, the content is
repeated daily here and elsewhere.

[legin]

6. Just when I think I might keep my new year's resolution

which is to have ONE vaguely chartiable thought about Thomas Friedman in 2004, he goes and slides in the 'cockroach bit':

"...but because a smaller Israel, in internationally recognized boundaries, will be much more defensible; not because it will eliminate Islamic or European anti-Semitism,..."

And then I went back and re-read the first part of this series.

Friedman is very adept at throwing liberal ideas into his mix to give the impression of thoughtful moderation but he is just a right-wing toad.

If Friedman is going to continue to co-exist on this planet with me, I want some of Rush's drugs (at the very minimum).

[bemildred]

7. I interpreted the tone differently.

I thought he was trying to address the "pro-Israeli" folks,
and I thought he was trying not to alienate such people by
being politically incorrect (about the prevalence and
threat associated with European anti-semitism) while at
the same time advocating unpleasant truths (time is running
out, green line, ALL settlements, etc.)

For Tom, it seemed relatively grown up and reality engaged.
YMMV.

[legin]

8. LOL bemildred

You are probably right, it is as about as good as we are going to get from Friedman.

So it looks like (unhappily) that I am going to forefill my New Year's Resolution

Damn ;-)