This Week: Tom Friedman Urges Obama To Give Iraq Another Friedman Unit
By Nicole Belle Sunday Oct 19, 2008 11:20am(h/t Think Progress)
He's at it again. Backtracking from his promise in 2007 that he'd call for no more "Friedman Units", Mr. "The World is Flat" suggests that Obama's stated timeline-- one that is advocated by the Iraq government -- for withdrawal from Iraq would be improved by another Friedman Unit to "win" the war.
I think everything that we believe — there was a great piece in The Washington Post today by Bill Emmott, former editor of The Economist who was basically sort of examining all the sort of conventional wisdom about what will happen next, you know that America will become weaker, not stronger and what not. And I think he was on to something. I think everything we believe could be wrong. That is Iraq could turn out — that Osama — sorry, not searching for Osama bin Laden could be not the biggest issue for Obama. I think you could actually find out that Obama can win the Iraq war and he will want to actually continue our presence in Iraq for — until 2011.
When host George Stephanopoulos points out that even Gen. Petraeus admits that there is no "victory" in Iraq, Friedman back pedals slightly, but still stubbornly holds on to the notion that there is something achievable by our continuing presence in Iraq.
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Has Tom Friedman ever fought in a war? Does he have kids fighting in Iraq? Or just like a typical neocon chickenhawk, does he want another Friedman unit for somebody else's kids to fight?
Why did George Stuffitupyourass have a 'fair and balanced' panel of 3 right wingers and only Donna Brazil to defend the democratic perspective?
At least David Gerber hasn't lost touch with reality...
why did George Stuffitupyourass have such a "fair and balanced" panel of 3 rightwingers and only Donna Brazil to offer the democratic perspective?
David Gerber still seems to be someone sane, but the other two... common!
We've had quite enough Friedman Units in Iraq. The only units I want to see now are our troops, coming home. Enough.
The first person who can define "winning" for me gets a gold star from one of our brave vets: http://brainrageblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/som...
winning in Iraq: Wholesale privatization of all oil rights to American companies, and the oppression (foreign and domestic) necessary to bleed that country dry.
global markets can be based on exploitation of poor people and the iraq war is still good. I wish he would be more clear.
Winning to these guys means keeping the oil. They'll throw away countless American citizens to get it, yet never understanding the oil will never be theirs.
Every time I think Tom Freidman is regaining his sanity, he does something like this. He is basically a chickenhawk neo-con AIPAC lover at heart. It's over, Tom, Iraq is done, and if you want to buy some more time for your desired outcome, send your two daughters there, not mine.
I agree, America does not need any more of this type of "leadership".
But anyone that even remotely thinks that Obama will "bring home the troops" is sadly mistaken. There are still troops worldwide from previous wars, even though leaders said they'd "bring 'em home" Isn't gonna happen. Iraq has oil. US needs oil. 'nuff said.
THE ONLY thing that is "achievable" in Iraq is that Halliburton, Kellogg, Brown&Root, Blackwater , GE ,Exxon, Shell, and all other big companies continue to rack in billions of taxpayer provided profits. That IS THE ONLY reason America is in this so-called "war" in Iraq. If it is ended, ALL of these big firms WILL LOSE money and have to pack up and move. "War is good for business".
Just saw Friedman on Bill Maher's show. Friedman's now, get this, pushing the revolutionary concept of ET - Energy Technology. ET's the wave of the future! It will create lots of jobs, and it will replace oil and gas, because you know what?? We're running out of gas, because (you may not have known this) - we burn it and don't create more!!1!!
So, how does one have a NY Times column and sell bloatloads (spellin intended) of books, saying things which have either been public knowledge since the Carter administration - or which are totally completely wrong?
It may in fact take some kind of genius. I'm curious, because I'd like to sell a bloatload of books of my own.
Thomas Friedman is a high-functioning moron. That's it. That's his story.
I'm a (proud flaming liberal) Manhattanite and a (not so proud, but you have to do it) daily reader of the NY Times. Friedman has always, always, always had a latecomer's stranglehold on washed-out orthodoxies. It took awhile, but I finally just stopped reading his ridiculous columns some years ago. (I have to say, though, that his books are even worse).
Anybody who is or has ever been a stoner knows that Friedman's "analysis" has the acuity of someone who has stayed stoned for so long that he no longer realizes what anybody is actually saying anymore; and who, then, all of a sudden, thinks he has had a moment of wham-o insight and chimes in with his anemic, ridiculously out-of-place, out-of-date "perspective" that has all the cogency and savor of this morning's dishwater. He's just pathetic.
I used to wonder how he kept his job at the Times, but since they hired Kristol, I've stopped questioning it. Watching the Times I used to love disappear has been very sad for me.
So Iraq needs a Friedman unit? A request by Friedman himself - seems legit. Maybe I can order one online - lets look - oh here they are - 60-80 billion dollars apiece! Yow. Okay, but I just did put a 700 billion dollar charge on the card a couple weeks ago...Okay I'll pony up - What! they need 130000 of my sons and daughters as well? damn these things are expensive.... All it shows in my cart is a Friedman unit - no shipping cost - wonder how much that will be? plus this will send my credit rating in the world down the toilet but it is just one more I guess.
After all that it turns out they don't even want it...
FOX is starting daily LIVE briefings from Iraq with Bill Hemmer beginning tomorrow. You know, to show how great everything is going there. Anything to give McCain the appearance of having accomplished something (in this case, supporting the Surge[tm]).
Suck.On.Thia
His book is actually being taught in high schools all over the U.S., if you can believe it.
Some people actually believe the earth is 6000 years old, too. I realize that's not his point, but this guy couldn't find his ass with both hands.
He could find his ass all right; but then he'd discourse at length on how his, and probably everyone else's, has two cheeks, and that he has found that sitting on it is convenient for having his dinner. And that he is willing to bet that research would indicate that others have had similar findings. True, there are cultures in which people recline or squat at meals. But if those cultures are just given the time and the opportunity, they will very likely, come to see that, if they sit at the dinner table, then they will be able to eat too.
Didn't this fool keep predicting a stable, Democratic Iraq "3-6 months from now" for years?
...that's the guy.
There is something achievable for Freidman. Lots of dividends on his war profiteer corporations stocks.
"the notion that there is something achievable by our continuing presence in Iraq."
Like, more profits for the military industrial complex, which still has not accounted for one stinking dime of 2.3 TRILLION that vanished like a fart in the wind, prior to the mega-budgeted, multiple WARS TO NOWHERE. The records of almost all of it, convienently destroyed by coincidence, in convienently coincidental targeted buildings, on 9\11. Mere simple "coincidence", no conspiracy, just another one of those "one in a million" pure coincidences. Like all the rest of the sheer coincidences.
"New super smart weapons", each one costing millions+ of dollars to produce (not including any of the research\development costs to taxpayers). A million dollar+ missle, consistantly used to kill a single person or small group, or blow up a beat up old truck.
Weapons manufacturers making "guaranteed" record profits for wars getting absolutely NOWHERE. All COSTS absorbed by the taxpayer. All PROFITS pocketed by the manufacturer (including the sales PROFITS to others overseas).
That's what is being "ACHIEVED".
RECORD PROFITS for "unending" wars.
RECORD PROFITS for "unwinable" wars.
Wars to NOWHERE.
The surges DO get results, ONLY, it's in their bank accounts.
Let's just ask the people if they want us there.
More of Friedman desperate to be validated, no matter how many lives it costs.
What has this dumb ass ever done that warrants me seeing him on TV? He has never been right about anything. He has never served this country in any capacity. He writes books that are completely wrong not only in historical opinion but in facts. This guy needs to be forcibly pushed back under his rock.
We don't need to ever see or hear from this idiot ever again.
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I’ve concluded that Freidman IS the loser!
“I think everything Freidman believes could be wrong!”
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Friedman is just useless. His commentary is consistently a day late and a dollar short. It generally takes him months and months to catch up with last year's orthodoxy. Consistently and patently useless.
Both Friedman and Obama are wrong. "Obama's stated timeline" may be "advocated by the Iraqi government" but it is not advocated by the Iraqi people. Yesterday in Baghdad tens of thousands of people marched in a protest that was organized by Iraqi cleric al-Sadr to demand that US forces leave their country immediately as opposed to America's intent to indefinitely occupy Iraq. What so many Americans seem incapable of doing is to imagine what it would be like if a foreign soldier marched into their neighborhood wearing battle fatigues and especially carrying an assault rifle. Yet they applaud Obama because he is advocating a withdrawal plan, never mind the fact that it will be stretched out over a year's period of time [16 months] and that even after his phased [as opposed to immediate] plan is finally completed, the [alleged] antiwar candidate wishes to leave anywhere from 32,000 to 80,000 American soldiers in Iraq as well as 100,000 civilian contractors in that country. Curious how this post made no mention of Obama, the [alleged] antiwar candidate, desiring to leave close to 200,000 American forces and civilian contractors, which would include the infamous para military organization Blackwater, in Iraq. Certainly the Iraqi people will realize that Obama, if he is elected president, can be just as militant in his intentions as either Bush and/or McCain.
Way back before he'd written his stupid books, I used be become so enraged at his shoddy reporting in the NY Times that I stopped taking the paper. I have never understood why I now have to turn off the TV or radio every time he comes on. What a tool.
Tom Friedman is a smart guy, but he does not know everything, does not have the answers for everything, and can often be wrong.
He is wrong on Iraq. It was and continues to be a disasterous war. The soon the U.S. gets out of there the better. There is absolutely nothing to gain from wasting one more life or dollar in that country.
And if Tom thinks differently then he should volunteer himself for service and get over there to sort things out himself and us his own millions of dollars to do it.
There is zero national interest in Iraq. Even if things become more volatile after we leave on a regional basis then so be it. It will just force us to get off oil faster.
In fact we should given George Bush the retirement job of shipping him over there so he can be a consultant to the Iraqi government so he can finish the job of bringing democracy to Iraq that he started. We will leave and George Bush can stay and finish the job.
I always thought this cartoon had Friedman pretty well nailed.
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/07/23/t...
ohgodthat'sgood.
And people actually care what he thinks?
Tom's just another shitty salesman who read the paper before anyone else then tries to run around selling ideas that people are gonna find out about the next day anyway.
friedman is nothing but a shill a lying scumbag.
I never listen to anything anyone on the TV has to say.
They are all over paid liars!
Goooooo Isreal!!!!
Of course there is still something achievable....As long as we are spending $10B per month on this infernal war, SOMEBODY is "achieving" something out of it. The point is, aren't you tired of going in debt to pay the Haliburtons and Black Waters of the country---not to mention the heartache of our soldiers and their families? We have serious economic issues to deal with. Ruling the world will have to wait for another day.
http://christiansvoteobama.org
Friedman needn't worry.
Obama's not going to pull anybody out of Iraq anytime soon. 2011, maybe.
And if he ever does, he's already said he wants to send them to Afghanistan to fight the war "we must win".
No. Friedman needn't worry.
They'll be plenty of war to keep him busy.
Zebras don't change their stripes. Friedman is still an idiot.
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Most of what Friedman says is crap. However I have heard him talking about working on ENERGY INDEPENDENCE and that is correct. Obama and McCain both say that is their top priority too, however they say it will take 10 years (conveniently after they would be out of office).
There are technologies available today to give us Clean, Renewable ENERGY in a year even (especially if we took just a fraction of what is being spent in Iraq).
I am not talking about BS stuff like bio, nuclear, coal or more oil, I am talking about wind, solar, tidal, geothermal and electric/magnetic (also hydrogen using Tesla methods not conventional methods). The best thing about these is that they are abundant, completely clean, and renewable.
Whoever gets elected needs to be reminded that this is the top priority and not allowed to slack off on this. Look up Tesla and geothermal energy and check out some videos on it, also zeitgeist:addendum for more info.
Friedman's Theory is that if we war long enough, we will indeed flatten the Earth. Short your globe-maker stock and invest in everything diorama.
Tommy Freedom is an example of what happens to a bright person who gets brainwashed by the neo-con philosophy and who is narcissistic enough to believe that he now knows "the RIGHT way" to (you can fill in the blank here)!
Before the invasion of Iraq, Tommy was so excited about how much all of his Iraqi friends (Akhmed Chalabi) wanted democracy, and there was a new morning coming. Then, when the mission began to get unaccomplished, Tommy said it was because we were not fighting "Tom's War!" (Honest, he really said that!) Back in those days, he wrote a great deal about Tom's War, but then backed off of that when it became apparent things were tanking.
At that point, Tommy turned his attention to the environment--always a good subject for someone trying to find a new area of expertise to expound on. That is where he has been for the past year or so, until he took his spaceship (which he can afford--he is, after all a billionaire) back to Iraq and started babbling about a "Friedman Unit!"
All of this is just another definition of narcissism!!!
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