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| Topic: Tom Friedman on the Middle East | |
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I don't think much of Thomas Friedman's views on globalism, but here is an editorial that Strikes me as right on target.
For the last 50 years, America (and Europe and Asia) have treated the Middle East as if it were just a collection of big gas stations: Saudi station, Iran station, Kuwait station, Bahrain station, Egypt station, Libya station, Iraq station, United Arab Emirates station, etc. Our message to the region has been very consistent: “Guys (it was only guys we spoke with), here’s the deal. Keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t bother the Israelis too much and, as far as we’re concerned, you can do whatever you want out back. You can deprive your people of whatever civil rights you like. You can engage in however much corruption you like. You can preach whatever intolerance from your mosques that you like. You can print whatever conspiracy theories about us in your newspapers that you like. You can keep your women as illiterate as you like. You can create whatever vast welfare-state economies, without any innovative capacity, that you like. You can undereducate your youth as much as you like. Just keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t hassle the Jews too much — and you can do whatever you want out back.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23friedman.html |
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I don't think much of Thomas Friedman's views on globalism, but here is an editorial that Strikes me as right on target. For the last 50 years, America (and Europe and Asia) have treated the Middle East as if it were just a collection of big gas stations: Saudi station, Iran station, Kuwait station, Bahrain station, Egypt station, Libya station, Iraq station, United Arab Emirates station, etc. Our message to the region has been very consistent: “Guys (it was only guys we spoke with), here’s the deal. Keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t bother the Israelis too much and, as far as we’re concerned, you can do whatever you want out back. You can deprive your people of whatever civil rights you like. You can engage in however much corruption you like. You can preach whatever intolerance from your mosques that you like. You can print whatever conspiracy theories about us in your newspapers that you like. You can keep your women as illiterate as you like. You can create whatever vast welfare-state economies, without any innovative capacity, that you like. You can undereducate your youth as much as you like. Just keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t hassle the Jews too much — and you can do whatever you want out back.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23friedman.html My issue with this is because they are sovereign nations all that was listed is what they can do without our approval anyway without having oil. We are not the regulators of the world as some seem to think. Just like our illegal military action in many of those areas including Iraq. So "out back" is their right regardless to whether we like it or not. Just like our "out back" is none of their concern. |
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Friedman thinks that we somehow controlled or manipulated ALL the countries in the middle east?
We somehow gave them permission for their dictatorships, nepotism, fundamentalist religious concepts and female subjugation?!
This was the way it was much much before the US was a glimmer in the eyes of the American Revolutionaries...
Mr. Friedman - the house of Al-Saud did not, does not need the US and Mubarak's military takeover of Egypt and subjugation of his people did not depend on the US. We did not make Iran....We did not nod and wink. These were the simply the leadeers of their nations - and if we were going to be a part of the international community in any way then we had to interact with them diplomatically - often holding our nose. We have an oil addiction that is true and we should develop alternatives for our own sake. But we did not give anyone Carte Blanche or somehow prop up tottering abusive regimes. We bought our refined drug from the OPEC pushers sure but we were slaves to our monkey...and until we develop past it we will have to simply deal with the new pusher-man. cue Steppenwolf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpoEmlxUPeQ |
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Someone out there must have been thinking...
After all is said and done. When the Arab oil runs low. We will have a whole lot of undrilled fields... Just waiting for us to become the pusher man. |
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I don't think much of Thomas Friedman's views on globalism, but here is an editorial that Strikes me as right on target. For the last 50 years, America (and Europe and Asia) have treated the Middle East as if it were just a collection of big gas stations: Saudi station, Iran station, Kuwait station, Bahrain station, Egypt station, Libya station, Iraq station, United Arab Emirates station, etc. Our message to the region has been very consistent: “Guys (it was only guys we spoke with), here’s the deal. Keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t bother the Israelis too much and, as far as we’re concerned, you can do whatever you want out back. You can deprive your people of whatever civil rights you like. You can engage in however much corruption you like. You can preach whatever intolerance from your mosques that you like. You can print whatever conspiracy theories about us in your newspapers that you like. You can keep your women as illiterate as you like. You can create whatever vast welfare-state economies, without any innovative capacity, that you like. You can undereducate your youth as much as you like. Just keep your pumps open, your oil prices low, don’t hassle the Jews too much — and you can do whatever you want out back.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23friedman.html I watched his interview with Anderson Cooper and he said the exact same stuff. He also told Cooper that the countries involved in the revolutions are going to be a bloodbath for next decade or so. These dictators kept the tribal hatreds to a minimum, but after all these years of pent up rage, there are going to be alot of scores getting settled. Libya is going to be a mess. |
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