Mike's Blog

Friedman: I Just Found Out Iraq might not be going so well

Looks like Thomas Friedman has finally awoken from his coma, er.....returned from book-leave. Wish I could get some book-leave....anyway. Apparently, he just received the memo that's been going around.

To: Thomas Friedman, New York Times Columnist

From: The World

Re: Iraq is Fucked

Dear Tom:

Glad to see you back on the op-ed page, spouting forth banalities that you try to pass off as little pearls of Buddhist wisdom. While you've been gone, no doubt hunkered down in a cave somewhere working out you're next profound thesis: 'Freedom good, Terrorism Bad', Iraq continues to spin out of control. It was actually out of control well before your hiatus, but who would have known from reading your columns? Back then, one would have thought that democracy, and all its supposed blessings, was just around the corner for the greater Middle East. Turns out, Iraq looks like a giant Beirut circa 1983, except the food isn't as good.

I'll let Friedman explain the rest himself:

But here is the cold, hard truth: This war has been hugely mismanaged by this administration, in the face of clear advice to the contrary at every stage, and as a result the range of decent outcomes in Iraq has been narrowed and the tools we have to bring even those about are more limited than ever.

Oh, really? I wonder what could have led to that situation.

Because each time the Bush team had to choose between doing the right thing in the war on terrorism or siding with its political base and ideology, it chose its base and ideology. More troops or radically lower taxes? Lower taxes. Fire an evangelical Christian U.S. general who smears Islam in a speech while wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army or not fire him so as not to anger the Christian right? Don't fire him. Apologize to the U.N. for not finding the W.M.D., and then make the case for why our allies should still join us in Iraq to establish a decent government there? Don't apologize - for anything - because Karl Rove says the "base" won't like it. Impose a "Patriot Tax" of 50 cents a gallon on gasoline to help pay for the war, shrink the deficit and reduce the amount of oil we consume so we send less money to Saudi Arabia? Never. Just tell Americans to go on guzzling. Fire the secretary of defense for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, to show the world how seriously we take this outrage - or do nothing? Do nothing. Firing Mr. Rumsfeld might upset conservatives. Listen to the C.I.A.? Only when it can confirm your ideology. When it disagrees - impugn it or ignore it.

Oh, right. My question for Mr. Friedman though is this: What the hell made you think that this administration EVER acted in anyone's, or anything's, interest but its own? I know a lot of people, not just Tom, who kept expecting the White House crew to suck it up and make some tough choices (see above). It never happened. Here's the column's most telling sentence.

What I resent so much is that some of us actually put our personal politics aside in thinking about this war and about why it is so important to produce a different Iraq.

Translation: I never liked this bunch of assholes, but I wanted to see them succeed so badly I was willing to give them a pass on most other issues. I was deceived.

That's the way this crew operates, Tommy. I'm glad to see you're finally waking up. Friedman ruins what starts as a very decent and revealing column by throwing in some nonsense about how both candidates are trying to use Iraq for political advantage. You know, the platitudes of how Americans need "to immediately get the Democratic and Republican politics out of this policy" blah blah blah. Tom, this is not one of those throwaway issues where you can pull your usual, "Both sides are to blame" bullshit. "Democratic policy" did not get us into this war. I think it's time you admitted that and started assigning more blame sqaurely where blame is due. Or have you not received that memo yet?

Guess who's back....back again...Friedman's back....tell a friend....

Posted by mike at October 2, 2004 10:13 PM