Ah, Those Principled Europeans; Identity Crisis in Europe" [surprise!]

New York Times ^ | Feb. 2, 2003 | Thomas Friedman

[edwin hubble]

[Just a few sentences excerpted from N.Y. Times Op-Ed: ]

"So pardon me if I don't take seriously all the Euro-whining about the Bush policies toward Iraq — for one very simple reason: It strikes me as deeply unserious. It's not that there are no serious arguments to be made against war in Iraq. There are plenty.

It's just that so much of what one hears coming from German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac are not serious arguments. They are station identification."

[edwin hubble]

This appears to be a minor sea change on the left. Tom Friedman is usually a strong critic of all aspects of Bush foriegn policy. Here is his surprising criticism of France and Germany -- disparaging their lack of principles. It is no-holds-barred, and quite nasty about the French and German duplicity over Iraq.

[Cicero]

Being weak after being powerful is a terrible thing. It can make you stupid.

I hope the Eurosnobs read this rather candid opinion.

I think Tom Friedman suffered a crisis of confidence after 9/11, because it was like a vast abyss opening at his feet and revealing how shallow and silly his earlier writing on the Middle East was.

Ever since he has avoided talking about olive trees and Lexuses and how a few internet cafes will soon bring the Arabs into the modern world.

Friedman was more responsible than any other commentator for justifying clinton's war against Yugoslavia. So he still has a lot to repent. But who knows, maybe he will quit his job and go elsewhere to write his columns, since Howell Raines will never permit him to depart for long from the party line. A. M. Rosenthal showed that.

[DB]

Every time I hear "Thomas Friedman" my blood pressure goes up...

This article shocked my system - my Pavlov response was a false alarm... ;-)

[edwin hubble]

Thanks for that insight.

Something interesting is going on with this op-ed piece.
It may be that Friedman sees the inevitable.

...seeing that the huge majority of Europe is coming to our side (all but Germany, France, Belgium and Lux.)
And the inexorable movement toward take out Saddam.

OK. He is a bright guy. Yes.
Maybe he is 'getting it' now.
His comments showing such unbridled contempt for 'old Europe' could have come from any thread on this forum.

He mocks the Europeans for rejecting our genetically modified grains out of misplaced fear and contempt for the U.S. while smoking obviously cancerous cigarettes.

[edwin hubble]

I have re-read the article because I am also kind of bewildered.

As I said above, it is as though he wants to be on the side that will prevail.

The 'old Europe' has admitted that the resolution of Sept 02 has been violated.

I really like this quote from Friedman's article:

"Power corrupts, but so does weakness," said Josef Joffe, editor of Germany's Die Zeit newspaper. "And absolute weakness corrupts absolutely. "

[Rocky]

Maybe the NYT has been getting a lot of mail.

[The Great Satan]

This isn't that extraordinary coming from Friedman. Some good zingers and near-zingers, though.