Tom Friedman, Useful Idiot To The World

Seriously, are there any benighted semi-despots out there Tom Friedman doesn't have a bromantic poli-crush on?

Some eight years ago, in February 2002, I interviewed then-Crown Prince-now-King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at his horse farm outside Riyadh. I shared with him a column I had written -- suggesting that the Arab League put forth a peace plan offering Israel full peace for full withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza and Arab East Jerusalem for a Palestinian state -- when he feigned surprise and said: "Have you broken into my desk?" The Saudi leader said he was preparing the exact same plan and offered it up -- "full withdrawal from all the occupied territories, in accord with U.N. resolutions, including in Jerusalem, for full normalization of relations." He added: "I wanted to find a way to make clear to the Israeli people that the Arabs don't reject or despise them."

Yeah, I'm sure a fake peace deal will totally obscure the fact the Arab ruling class rarely misses a chance to make clear how much they despise Jews in general and Israel in particular. You know, like when they went to war with them. Three times. The Arab elites want to negotiate the destruction of Israel, nothing more or less, but they're more than happy to trot out these fake initiatives for the likes of Friedman to pant and drool over. Why not? It doesn't cost them anything, and the exercise gives them good PR with the gullible.

With the Cubans now apparently heading to the Chinese model, I expect Raul Castro will be the next authoritarian recipient of our modern day Duranty's wistful glances. "There's someone getting things done, unlike our messy constitutional republic with its obstructionist notions of rights and elections," he'll sigh and coo. It's really too bad he doesn't live in either country so we could chuckle when they respond to his global warming nonsense by eliminating the emissions from his palatial estate. I suppose despots are prettiest when admired from afar.

Anyways, I just want it on the record that many of us recognized Tom Friedman was a fool well before the China bubble burst.

posted by Dave on 09.08.10 at 09:46 PM





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Tom Friedman is delusional. For a guy who bothered to learn Arabic in college and spend his life traveling the Middle East he hasn't learned a thing about Islam.

I'll bet he has never read the Koran, Sira and Hadith. He's a jackass.

jgreene   ·  September 8, 2010 10:23 PM

It's not that the endless plans and negotiations themselves are expected to lead to anything practical. It's that negotiating and proposing plans and initiatives in the middle east is itself a distinguishing act. It demonstrates your piety in international relations.

SongDog   ·  September 8, 2010 10:34 PM

Just wait until we see what M. Yglesias has to say about the wonderfulness of the Post-Castro Cuban regime!

The Cranky Professor   ·  September 8, 2010 10:34 PM

You mistake Friedman. He's a Brahmin who LIKES dictatorships, so long as they're "enlightened" (read: agree with him).

After all, how else are we going to fight Global Warming and yet not interfere with the luxuries of the Thinking Class?

BTW, does anyone still wonder what Tom Friedman's dream job would be?

Kevin   ·  September 8, 2010 10:44 PM

Tom Friedman is just so smart. So he proposed a peace deal to the Saudi king and the ruler liked it but Tommy couldn't get a signed copy to take back to the Israelis? From what I've heard from people having to negotiate deals with ARAB-americans (sic) there is NO end to negotiations. It's a hobby until final victory. Even for a rent house.

SenatorMark4   ·  September 8, 2010 10:45 PM

"I'll bet he has never read the Koran, Sira and Hadith. He's a jackass."

I'll bet that he has but simply can't comprehend the fact that his sophisticated Arab friends actually take them very seriously.

BoBo from Texas   ·  September 8, 2010 10:46 PM

I don't understand how the Times can justify Friedman's salary.

However, it's a terrible misreading to think Arab governments are still after Israel's destruction. It is true of Syria, but it's my view that these governments (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states) gave up long ago on such schemes. They know they're no longer in any position of power to attempt such a thing -- the lost wars with Israel finished it. And the last one was... 1973? That was the same year the United States withdrew from Vietnam, and now our two countries are engaging in joint military operations: http://bigpeace.com/jxenakis/2010/08/14/us-vietnam-naval-exercises-in-south-china-sea-rattle-the-chinese/

The problem is the Islamist undercurrent (backed by Iran). This threatens not only Israel, but the Arab governments as well. And they know this. As you talk about the threat Arab states pose to Israel, wait until Israeli bombers fly over Arab territory on their way to bomb Iran, with the permission and enthusiasm of Arab governments.

Rob in Austin   ·  September 8, 2010 11:09 PM

Followup: The problem is that the Arab states play a hypocritical double game.

They publicly stoke anti-Israel sentiment to keep the masses from turning their anger onto the real source of their frustrations -- their own governments; while in their dealings with the West and with Israel, Arab diplomats will privately say they have no real insurmountable problems with Israel and are willing to live with it. Their real fear is Iran. That's the historical enemy.

That's the real axis on which Islamic revolution hinges. The Arab states are just content with making money and Iran's revolutionary rhetoric scares them.

Rob in Austin   ·  September 8, 2010 11:21 PM

After the interview he must have stopped at
the synagogue in Riyyadh for Sabbath services. The only dictators he doesn't
like are the dead ones. A schmuck by any other name is still.....

ptl   ·  September 9, 2010 12:09 AM

Great post. Friedman is doing the necessary kiss-ass "journalism" to cover for a country filled with citizens who pay the Saudis with every fill-up.

I wish I could avoid making my payments, but unfortunately oil is fungible.

Bastards.

Eric Scheie   ·  September 9, 2010 01:01 AM

Friedman married into a super-wealthy real estate family. He has a mansion whose carbon footprint by comparison would make Al Gore seem like Henry David Thoreau.

His in-laws lost nearly all their fortune in the 2008 crash. No comment.

Gringo   ·  September 9, 2010 01:05 AM
M. Simon   ·  September 9, 2010 01:14 AM

This may come as a shock but the Saudis are allied with Israel when it comes to Iran. The Jew hate is for domestic consumption.

M. Simon   ·  September 9, 2010 03:52 AM

M Simon,

Good point, though of course that's only true as long as Iran is a threat. And one suspects that even so, given the chance they'd happily wipe Israel off the map, Iran or no Iran.

TallDave   ·  September 9, 2010 07:32 AM

One of the worst aspects of the conflict between the Saudis and Iran is that it has allowed the Saudis to sell the world (especially gullible Americans) on a false dichotomy by promulgating the idea that Shia Islam is "radical" while Saudi-style Sunni Islam is "moderate." Iran's version of Shia Islam is radical, but there is nothing moderate about Saudi Wahhabism.

If only they hadn't had all that oil!

Eric Scheie   ·  September 9, 2010 11:15 AM

The Arabs have gone to war with the Jews three times? Try seven. And that's just counting the modern state f Israel.

AG   ·  September 9, 2010 04:53 PM

Well, I wanted to be conservative, so I was only counting '48, '67, and '73. But I agree in principle.

TallDave   ·  September 9, 2010 05:10 PM

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