Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Horse, Cart

So, basically, Tom Friedman is saying that it would have been preferable for Jefferson, Madison, et al., to have created, say, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or the Bureau of Land Management before they wrote the Declaration of Independence. The New York Times, ladies and gentlemen.

Posted by IOZ at 7:37 AM | email »
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8 comments:

Keifus said...

there is a distinct lack of investment in scientific research, development, knowledge industries and innovation. Instead, government jobs and contracts dominate.

I wonder if Friedman considers himself part of a knowledge industry, and if the named company appreciates it. It reminds of the Dilbert days, when many a profession tried to comically append "engineer" to its title.

K (I wonder if he realizes how much scientific research in the U.S. is government jobs and contracts for that matter.)

9:27 AM
Anonymous said...

I have never seen a more disturbing thing: Tom Friedman rubbing one out while moaning "oh, yeah, baby, Arab technocrats. They're....going....to....level...the
...playing.....FIEEEEELD!!!!"

11:21 AM
Alan said...

There isn’t a politician in America today who would support revolution over more competent British imperial rule. We’ve come a long way baby!

11:33 AM
Enron said...

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to the wider Middle East what off-Broadway is to Broadway." Nice to know it's all just entertainment to him.

2:29 PM
drip said...

500 million Arabs within 500 km of Jerusalem is to the wider world what Broadway is to that last episode of M*A*S*H. Let's see, not much work, no research, offensive metaphor. That was kinda fun. A black turtleneck, a fake mustache and I'm ready for a pie in the face.

7:44 PM
Cüneyt said...

American conservatives have been devoured by their rhetoric. Originally, I believe they understood realpolitik, but they also valued the use of lies in ginning up public support to stop any other state--any other state--from gaining power for itself. Now they're actually starting to believe all that shit about thems hating us and our libertees, so that's their tragedy.

American liberalism, however... Jesus, it's almost more convoluted. In any case, they can't even remember how things work at all. They really do adore that Dow Jones average, as much as any rightist. And they really love branch offices and mailboxes and Borders stores. They seem to enthuse in the trappings of progress. They don't know where progress comes from. It comes from power.

So here we are. Rich New York asshole, married into a fortune, writes dogshit for a powerful (but sickly) titan of the media apparatus, and he's telling Palestinians that what they need is not a nation, a state, not power.

But administration. Administration of what exactly? They have no means of production, no political independence... And how is that not intrinsically inimical to development? Why is Palestine supposed to jump ahead of every stage of development to reach our conditions for success without any of our means?

8:26 AM
Mr.Fundamental said...

well put Cuneyt.

is it me or do you also suspect that Friedman surrounds himself with Care Bears when he writes?

9:28 AM
Cüneyt said...

No, no. I think he surrounds himself with framed diplomas, artistic prints, books... wood shelves... leather armchairs... You know, the trappings of intelligence or intelligence as understood by a man of his age and tribe.

He is a symptom. He is the hacking cough of a disease afflicting both the scribes and the nation as a whole.

3:29 PM

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