[wizardoz]

First, even though the Bush team came to this theme late in the day, this war is the most important liberal, revolutionary U.S. democracy-building project since the Marshall Plan.

ROTFLMAO!! Yeah, right, Tom. Bush just invaded Iraq at random to blow up things, cause he likes things that go BOOM! It was intelligent liberals like yourself who whispered in his ear, "Hey, now that we're actually there, why don't we build a democracy?" Cause till then, old boy was just going around making buildings go BOOM, right? Clapping his hands together, saying "Oooo, pretty lights!"

I think these folks actually believe this. Astounding.

[anniegetyourgun]

"In general," says Robert Wright, author of "Nonzero," "too few who opposed the war understand the gravity of the terrorism problem, and too few who favored it understand the subtlety of the problem."

How true. And Leftists think Bush is stupid. But then, Friedman is chief among leftist idiots if he thinks his crying in the wilderness will create "something more to the left than anti-Bushism." The left is blinded by their rage, repeating their own lies, incapable of generating a new thought, and has no desire to constructively help their nation anyway. They can't "take it from here" because they don't even know where HERE, THERE, or SOMEWHERE is these days.

[Itzlzha]

"Believe me, being a liberal on every issue other than this war, I have great sympathy for where the left is coming from. And if I didn't, my wife would remind me.

"The World's Stupidest Bottom Burp...Thomas L. Friedman...New York Times!"

[The Great RJ]

These idiots would blame Bush if an airliner hijacked by Islamic terrorists crashed into Big Ben.

[Capt. Tom]

I posted a topic thread on FR awhile back here is an excerpt:

Within a few days of Sept 11th, after the shock settled in, all the socialist accomplishments of the last 35 years took a direct hit.

Close the borders! Protect our sovereignty! Racial profile those terrorists! Arm the pilots! Who the hell are we letting into this country? Deport Illegal aliens! I’m going out and exercise my second amendment right and buy a gun!

People started putting up American flags, and singing patriotic songs. Political correctness went out the window. Traitors are called just that, not dissidents or just Americans exercising their first amendment rights to help us all commit national suicide.

Sure the Tony Blairs, Daschles, Kennedys, Leaheys and similar ilk are onboard to kill the terrorists, and the sooner the better. That way they can get back to undermining this country through socialism, and repair the damage done to their agenda by this intrusion of Muslim terrorists. When the terrorist threat abates the American flags will come down, and they can get back to their cancerous work on our constitution, and country. "

Tom here:
What I didn't anticipate then is how these socialists got so blinded by their hatred of Bush and this country they couln't even fake loyalty to this country. They just teed off on the President, and went into their blame America first mode.

A leftist like Friedman sees the long term picture of advancing socialism through an appearance of cooperation. - Tom

[DManA]

Behind every (straight) liberal man is an overbearing, selfrightous, aggressive liberal woman.

And if I didn't, my wife would remind me.

[jocon307]

Oh cripes where to start?

"I couldn't help but wonder whether George Bush had made the liberal left crazy."

So the lunacy of the lunatic left and the lunatics who support them is Bush's fault too?

"Moreover, the Bush team is such a ...nonhealing administration..."

Nonhealing? What kind of a word is that? Shouldn't it be unhealing? What, exactly, is supposed to healed here? Only in the NY Times, which used to be at least well written, can you find cr*p like this nowaday. I read an sentance on the first page, above the fold the other day that made me want to find the writer and throw a heavy object at him.

"Unless we begin the long process of partnering with the Arab world to dig it out of the developmental hole it's in, this angry, frustrated region is going to spew out threats to world peace forever."

Here's the old "root causes" BS. Forget it. Those Iraquis ain't so poor, neither are the Saudis. Mohammed Atta studied Engineering in Germany! You want to find poor people, go to the South Bronx, not too many heading off for Heidelberg from that neck of the woods.

"Second, we are seeing — from Bali to Istanbul — the birth of a virulent, nihilistic form of terrorism that seeks to kill any advocates of modernism and pluralism, be they Muslims, Christians or Jews. This terrorism started even before 9/11...Ultimately, only Arabs and Muslims can root out this threat, but they will do that only when they have ownership over their own lives and societies."

More bad writing, leading to, or stemming from, more bad thought. I'm very glad he realizes this started before 9/11, unfortunately he seems to think Islamic terrorism is still aborning, which would be a pretty long labor, one must note. However, the fact of the matter is the it is FULLY GROWN, male and approximately 19-35 years in age. The Islamics HAVE ownership of their societies, (although I admit that some of those societies are sufficiently repressive that individuals may not have control over their own lives) the problem is they want to have ownership of OUR societies.

[okie01]

And it is way too important to leave it to the Bush team alone.

Whatever you say, Tom. But, last I looked, there was no help forthcoming from either the Democrat left or its multinational creature-of-choice, the UN. They've had their opportunity to contribute. But, so far, they've proven capable of only carping and obstructionism...or worse.

So, since we have to, Tom, we'll do what needs to be done and go it alone. Meanwhile, you guys can sit and fester.

[NativeNewYorker]

He married SERIOUS money. HE doesn't worry about taxes, because his wife can clip coupons.

[tjg]

I liked this column. It's predicated on the idea that the mission in Iraq is important and justified. Friedman's position though is that a conservative government is too stupid and heavy handed to understand the sublties of the operation.

Friedman may or may not be right on that point, but the point that he completely overlooks, or fails to adress , is the tendency of liberals to turn tail and run when the fighting starts.

All the sublties dissapear after you surrender.

[hemogoblin]

I have great sympathy for where the left is coming from. And if I didn't, my wife would remind me.

Makes me wonder if Tom has been getting any since he started supporting the war.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Friedman is a highbrow with the imagination of a cricket in heat!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Liberals are ranting and raving crazies, and they will succeed in the battle for the WH as well as a ranting and raving crazy would succeed in a regular battle-- which is to say, not very well. It's part of Rove's strategy to keep the left from thinking rationally.

[RichInOC]

I thought that the one chant that was missing at London's anti-Bush demonstrations was "We're s**te and we know we are...we're s**te and we know we are..."

[SuziQ]

Which is why the sign I most hungered to see in London was, "Thanks, Mr. Bush. We'll take it from here."

Oh yeah. They've done such a good job in the world so far. /sarcasm

[driftless]

Here's a typical Friedman column since the war started. He knows that our course of action is just, but he can't get past the fact that it's Republicans doing it. So he has to rain on the parade at every opportunity even though he supports it. My own opinion is that the Dems couldn't organize a good vomit contest after eating maggots (sorry for that image). Which is what their party is full of.

[InterceptPoint]

What Friedman doesn't understand is that liberals hate Democracy and love totalitarianism. That is the single defining element of all the anti-war protests of the last 50 years. The protestors love socialist dictatorships and hate capitalism and freedom.

[little jeremiah]

And I guess he'd be considered one of the more moderate liberals, since he didn't like some of their signs?

This comment really made me gag:

Moreover, the Bush team is such a partisan, ideological, nonhealing administration...

Excuuuse me - non-HEALING???

Is that supposed to be a function of government? I thought doctors, nurses and acupuncturists were into healing!

[rhombus]

Some of the left is starting to see their impossible position. I disagree with Friedman about those that favorted the war not understanding the subltety of the terrorism problem. I would counter that those on the left don't understand the simplicity of the problem -- a world-wide fascist movement has been using a religion that already preaches intolerance to accomplish their political goals. Don't they remember genocide? Don't they remember torture, terrorism? One doesn't wait until the Huns are at the door, one hunts them. I respectfully would thank Thomas Friedman of the NY Times for his honesty about the left and the importance of Iraq. I would also respectfully remind Mr. Friedman that until the left understands some of the simplicity of opposing terrrorism, they are not ready to "... take it from here."

[Lisa Lupner]

On Iraq, there has to be more to the left than anti-Bushism. The senior Democrat who understands that best is the one not running for president — Senator Joe Biden. He understands that the liberal opposition to the Bush team should be from the right — to demand that we send more troops to Iraq, and more committed democracy builders, to do the job better and smarter than the Bush team has.

Joe Biden?

THE Joe Biden who referred to the US as bullies, for utilizing our no-nonsense approach in Afghanistan?

He sure must be a quick study.