The Central Truth - Thomas Friedman, New York Times (I know, I know)

[applegrove]

The Central Truth
The New York Times
by Thomas Friedman
Sept 8, 2006


"To listen to the latest Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld speeches, you’d think that our biggest problem in Iraq is a violent minority of “extremists,” defying the democratic will of the Iraqi people. And you’d think that our biggest problem at home is a misguided group of Democratic appeasers, who want to cut and run in the great totalitarian struggle of the 21st century.

I wish it were so. Unfortunately, we are in trouble in Iraq now not because of what the “fringes” there, or here, believe, but because of what the center in both places has been willing to tolerate or unwilling to change.

We have a “center problem.”

Let me explain: We are stalled in Iraq not because of something some fringe antiwar critics said, or did, but because of how the Bush team, the center of U.S. policy, approached Iraq from the start. While it told the public — correctly, in my view — that building one example of a tolerant, pluralistic, democratizing society in the heart of the Arab-Muslim world was really important in the broader war of ideas against violent radical Islam, the administration acted as though this would be easy and sacrifice-free.

Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld told us we are in the fight of our lives against a new Islamic fascism, and let’s have an unprecedented wartime tax cut and shrink our armed forces. They told us we are in the fight of our lives against a new Islamic fascism, but let’s send just enough troops to topple Saddam — and never control Iraq’s borders, its ammo dumps or its looters. They told us we are in the fight of our lives against a new Islamic fascism, but rather than bring Democrats and Republicans together in a national unity war coalition, let’s use the war as a wedge issue to embarrass Democrats, frighten voters and win elections. They told us we are in the fight of our lives against a new Islamic fascism — which is financed by our own oil purchases — but let’s not do one serious thing about ending our oil addiction.

... SNIP"

http://select.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/opinion/08friedman.html

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Tom "Flathead" Freidman

He is just one of the many highly paid propagandists in positions of power in the MSM. Zippy the Pinhead clown has as much insight into the world around us as Freidman.

[applegrove]

2. Still - he makes a point. Very late in the day to notice there was no

sacrifice asked of anyone except the families of the soldiers..who are for the most part poor.

[tigereye]

8. how many times have you been to the Middle East?

he actually knows people there and has been considered pretty knowledgeable about the region for some time.

My apologies in advance if you are a. from the Middle East
b. a Middle Eastern scholar
c. having foreign policy expertise

[Vinnie From Indy]

10. LOL!

Personally, I tend to base my judgements more on substance than the stamps in someone's passport. Actually your point about ol' Flatfish Friedman having been in the Middle East makes his work even more laughably incorrect. Nice try though!

My apologies in advance if you are
a. Tom Friedman's mother writing here under a pseudonym

[tigereye]

11. I don't agree with everything that he says,

but he does make some salient points, many of which have been echoed by expatriate Iraqis, scholars and some folks who are living there. Who would you recommend as having a better grasp on the situation?

and no, I ain't his mom. I just am aggravated by folks around here who trash columnists viewpoints without any opposing rationale or facts. When I've seen Tom on Charlie Rose, he has been pretty thoughtful and aware, his books are quite interesting, and his columns often make sense to me.

[Benhurst]

3. What's a day without hearing from

The Mustache in Search of a Brain.

[applegrove]

4. Like I said... GOP types are suddenly interested in the truth and matching

there "experience" with all that Americans are feeling. Friedman feels their pain... the pain of the centrists voters (not the pain of the soldiers and families who have sacrificed it seems).

I think it is called mirroring. Seductive ain't it:sarcasm:

[orwell]

5. Screw this highly paid clown...

"While it told the public — correctly, in my view — that building one example of a tolerant, pluralistic, democratizing society in the heart of the Arab-Muslim world was really important in the broader war of ideas against violent radical Islam,...

Translation: We will dictate to you how to organize your society, how you worship, how you utilize resources, how you base your economic system, and eventually your culture itself. Why? Because we believe in freedom!

:silly:

[Richardo]

7. Did you read the rest of it?

I give him this premise because he's entitled to his opinion and because he spends the rest of the piece ripping the administration.

[Richardo]

6. Recommended. This is a great editorial - speaks to those on the fence

We'll need as many GOP defectors and independents as we can get in November.

You have to remember that it's the independents, and the growing doubters among the GOP base that will read this, and they will trust the information because of its souce.

It's really irrelevant whether we on the left like it or not (although I do) - we're not the intended audience.

[freethought]

9. Really! I didn't hear Tom Friedman complaining

in the run-up to the invasion or during and after for that matter. There are times when Tom Friedman seems to have a excellent perspective but other times you just want to dope slap the man till your hands are ready to fall off. He can be such an a_____e!

[teryang]

12. There it is again, the new meme "Islamic Fascism"

This guy is so full of s..t. He was one of the wars biggest cheerleaders.