NYT’s Friedman doubles down on ‘inbred’ claim about Israeli gov’t, taunts Mark Levin

The Daily Caller ^ | 7/18/11 | Jeff Poor

[Nachum]

During the past few weeks, something of a back-and-forth has developed between New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and conservative talker Mark Levin. The topic: disparaging comments Friedman made about the government of Israel.

Last month, in an appearance on Bloomberg’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” Friedman said, “Israel today — I’m sorry — it has the most inbred, unimaginative government I think it’s ever had.” And on Monday’s “Imus in the Morning” show on the Fox Business Network, Friedman clarified those remarks.

“The right words Don, are inbred, brain dead and completely, I would say, indifferent to the situation that they’re in right now,” Friedman said. “It’s really sad to see.”

Friedman’s prior remarks had drawn Levin’s ire, with the conservative talker calling Friedman a “jackass” and a “stupid piece of crap” on his June 29 show. But Friedman said he wanted to make sure Levin had the quote correct about the Israeli government

[Nachum]

"it has the most inbred, unimaginative government I think it’s ever had."

Why Tom, because they don't like your pals at J Street?

[Nervous Tick]

>> calling Friedman a “jackass”

Why does Levin feel the need for insults?

Jackasses serve a useful function; they make good flock guards, for one.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Exactly. Why would he insult a Jackass by calling him a Tom Friedman?

[RockinRight]

That’s how Mark is, this isn’t a new thing.

As far as Thomas Friedman, he’s a douchebag (there’s that insulting thing again) and I was forced while taking my MBA courses to read some of his drivel.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

I think Thomas Friedman is inbred, brain dead and completely indifferent to reality.

Friedman is such a [unladylike word]head. I had to read one of his [unladylike word]y books in college and it was so overflowing with liberal [unladylike word] it made me sick.

[Nervous Tick]

>> I was forced while taking my MBA courses to read some of his drivel

Ah feel yore pain.

I had to read “The Earth is Flat” as part of a staff education exercise.

Tell you what, Friedman can take a simple one-paragraph idea and compress it into a convoluted book chapter better than any author I know.

[Tex-Con-Man]

I don’t think there’s anything more entertaining than someone deciding to get into a pissing contest with Levin...especially about Israel. Friedman will regret this decision.

[PALIN SMITH]

Friedman is a flop-fart with a mustache!

[Paladin2]

Because they didn’t bomb the k |~ @ |) outa Iran a couple of years back.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

I was forced while taking my MBA courses to read some of his drivel.

Which one of his trashy books did you have to read? When I took a geography class I was forced to read Hot, Flat & Crowded. It was one of the most BS-filled books I've ever read. He said he wished our country could be like China.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

So true. He is so wordy.

[dragonblustar]

Friedman’s prior remarks had drawn Levin’s ire, with the conservative talker calling Friedman a “jackass” and a “stupid piece of crap” on his June 29 show

I love Levin! Its good to see conservatives slap these idiotic liberals.

[Rummyfan]

Friedman's got those Pulitzers and for some reason all in the MSM think he's a genius. I, however, agree with Mark: Friedman is a lousy writer with laughable ideas, worships authoritarianism in China, and should be very careful about throwing stones like braindead when he himself lives in such a glass house.

P.S. Tried to make it through The Lexus and the Olive Tree but put it down after one chapter, never to pick it up again.

[Nervous Tick]

>> I was forced to read Hot, Flat & Crowded.

I wasn’t aware he wrote a book about his wife... aw, how sweet.

[kcvl]

THOMAS FRIEDMAN IN 1999: Amazon Is Doomed

Back in 1999, Friedman said Amazon was completely doomed because it was someone could recreate Amazon.com in their bedroom.

******

In February 2002, Friedman met Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and personally encouraged him to make his comprehensive attempt to end the Arab-Israeli conflict by normalizing Arab relations with Israel in exchange for the return of refugees alongside an end to the Israel territorial occupations. Abdullah proposed the Arab Peace Initiative at the Beirut Summit that March, which Friedman has strongly supported since.

In May 2011, it was reported in The New York Times that President Obama "has sounded out" Friedman concerning Middle East issues.

******

Friedman first discussed his views on globalization in a 2000 book.

He also views American immigration laws as too restrictive and damaging to economic output:

"It is pure idiocy that Congress will not open our borders – as wide as possible – to attract and keep the world's first-round intellectual draft choices in an age when everyone increasingly has the same innovation tools and the key differentiator is human talent."

[Da Coyote]

A lib - any lib - taunting the “great one” is sort of like a Cessna 150 driver picking a fight with an F-16.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

lol

[DManA]

Who else but a liberal could get away with libeling the Jewish gene pool? Even metaphorically.

[beethovenfan]

Friedman is a self-hating Jew. I wonder if he has had his circumcision undone.

[oncebitten]

Someone bought me his “The world is Flat” for a present. After I had read about two chapters, I got this feeling, like, “So What”. It just seemed so uninspired and boring and didn’t provide any insights that were not obvious to a halfwit.