Letters to the Editor
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Immaturity
When I read any of Friedman's so called 'analysis', the one big thought that I have is this:
"Was this written by a 12 year old?!?!?!"
His view of the world and his ideas about foreign policy seem more informed by "Mission: Impossible" re-runs and close study of "24" seasons 1 through 5 DVD sets, than any serious study of history.
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Friedman the Madman
The Nazi hierarchy was comprised of psycho sociopaths which is what Tom is calling for to govern the USA, VERY CURIOUS INDEED CONSIDERING HE'S JEWISH AND ALL.Stalin was also a social psychopath as well. Just how did these types of governments work out for the world? They were failures. Tom should of course volunteer to serve in Iraq and put his mouth where his money is.Tom hates American just as all neocons do. They are implementing a soviet-fascist type government for the USA for which their is a history of abject failure. This proves they hate America. Tom is the beneficiary of his wife's inherited wealth but steals the accolades for himself. He's obviously a mentally disturbed person who hates America and his mental illness will fester and increase until treated or death.
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Love Letters to Tom Friedman
My disclaimer is that my information on the Middle East is old, I keep up with foreign relations only if gossip related and my opinions are solely my own.
I thought I was the only shameless person who bristles at the thought of a Thomas Friedman comment, column or book. I'm so relieved as I thought I was cold and alone in the world. Shivers go up my spine as I watch young college students reading "The Lexus and the Olive Branch" on the bus a few weeks ago. I got to page 24 and realized my sole enjoyment of that book was writing how much I disagreed and despised the author. If you want to see my notes, just ask.
But I enjoyed From Beirut to Jerusalem when he hard scrabbled the streets of Beirut as a real journalist and discuss what is going on in the average Lebanese life and opinion as civil war surrounded everything. I was also a sophomore in college and the Intifada has started with rocks and all. Once Tom started arm chair typing from his suburb and lost contact with his average friends everything went downhill. When he discusses his Arab friends now, I assume they have the comfortable working relationship like Dick Cheney and Tim Russert or Ted Kennedy and Orin Hatch. The past decade has been like watching a longstanding skyrocketing career of expectation plunge into oblivion. Great, now I'm even writing like Tom.
Aside from that, thanks Glenn Greenwald.
Lots of people read Tom Friedman but no one seems to complain about him as I enjoy to. Someone asked me if I read his column and I said "no, Judith Miller works for the New York Times." They obviously misunderstood me as they paraphrased some ridiculous proclamation that Friedman made. I embellished my previous comments and repeated "I do not read that idiot's column." Dead silence ensued and then the brainiac mediator of our group asks "why don't you like his column?"
I can only say that he does have adolescent arguments ("if only the world would see what I see and feel what i feel"), his information appears dated, his allegorical analysis is misplaced and I wonder if ill informed. His lofty comments such as the complexities of the Middle East won't be settled until the Palestinian problem is addressed. This has not been addressed since at least 1948, why bother now?
Tom's current info appears to be based on his career as a real journalist in the Middle East some ten+ years ago. Now the fat bloated Tom I know does not have to hard scrabble the streets of Beirut. He probably waits for an approaching wanna-be and pre-empts the youngster with his story, "when I was in the Middle East..."
I do agree with Tom on some issues. The Middle East issues won't be resolved until globalization hits the Middle East. But he needs to be specific, globalizaiotn won't hit the occupied terrortories until Israel allows waters rights to the Arab Palestinians in the occupied terrirtoies, the Turks need to stop damming the headwaters of the Eurphrates, the UN and World Bank need to not fund these projects, US must accpet that we are not the delta force of the world and finally someone needs to explain what happens when the 72 virgins run out. Did anyone see the ad about ranching in the Golan Heights last Sunday in the Los Angeles Times Magazine?
Finally, the US must put the Shah in Iraq with secret police to monitor all non-approved western acitivity (such as socialist tendencies, nationalization of oil and natural resources, rescended leases on airbases and harbors, etc.), and the US finally goes after the real harbor of terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Remember 18 of the 19 hijackers were from where? Anybody? Anybody?
Thanks if you got this far on my rant. I'm going to go read more Tom Friedman for infotainment and then re-read Glenn Greenwald. Can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner conversation.
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Indeed, Hans B...
...It is a demonstration of backward thinking that nearly all the candidates rushed to dismiss human rights when confronted with the false "human rights-national security" paradox. Benjamin Franklin, editing a book thought to have been written by Richard Jackson, summed it up nicely: "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Thomas Friedman and others who are so quick to support those who are doing away with our constitutional rights should take note!