Thomas Friedman

[Grenzer]

I fucking hate this guy. One of my friends has a subscription to the NYT, which apparently entitles the subscriber to give out a free online subscription. I read it on my phone when I'm out and about, otherwise I would never waste my time with such garbage.


Rothkopf argues that while for much of the 20th century the great struggle on the world stage was between capitalism and communism, which capitalism won, the great struggle in the 21st century will be about which version of capitalism will win, which one will prove the most effective at generating growth and become the most emulated.

He literally could not have gotten this more ass backward.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/opinion/friedman-capitalism-version-2012.html

This is standard fare for Friedman. See also: Friedman Unit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedman_Unit).

[Prometeo liberado]

Someone once said that when fascism comes to America it will be in the name of Americanism. I guess now it's called democratic capitalism. This guy tries, in a sly and cheap way, on one hand to advocate liberal issues while arguing this mythical "democratic capitalism" on the other. 4/1 spending cuts versus taxes. Improve the educational system. On and On. Then not to far beneath the surface the real face of his argument rears its ugly head. Then this "We need a bargain that enables the government to both enlist and partner with the private sector to unleash private investments in infrastructure that will serve the public and offer investors appropriate returns." Nothing new there. Any time capitalism uses the word "unleash" the leash part is always felt solely by the working class.

[Grenzer]

You're dead on about that. A lot of people here list Chomsky as their most hated liberal, but for me it's Friedman. Friedman is the example I like to point people to because he is liberalism with its thin façade of humanism peeled away. He wrote a book called The World is Flat in which he revels in imperialism and exploitation. The concerns of American liberals and "conservatives" are one and the same; they both advocate neo-liberalism but they have different ways of doing this.

Like all capitalists, he makes the fatal mistake of assuming that economic growth is the only thing that matters to have a sustainability. Economic growth is meaningless in terms of prolonging the survival of capitalism is the proletariat is simultaneously impoverished. Lenin had made a profound observation with his theory of imperialism: imperialism and the expansion of markets is the only way that capitalism can prolong its life span, but since ~1980 this expansion is eroding the availability of untapped markets, and with it, eroding the lifespan of capitalism itself.

It will be interesting to see how politics changes in the States over the coming decade or two. Right now, neoliberalism is the dominant current but it seems the proto-fascist current that manifests in forms like the Tea Party is quickly gaining strength. We could see the resurgence of global fascism in a big way, or some permutation of it, but it seems too early to make a reliable prediction yet.

[Prometeo liberado]

What kills me is that these Tea Partiers are convinced it's "big government" and "the politicians" that are to blame. Yet they will fall over themselves trying to cheer on the likes of Ron Paul and his message of small government and deregulation. They don't bother to ask what comes with that or that a smaller government under capitalism is the same class but with fewer of them running. More wealth concentrated in few hands. A small corporate elite if you will. That's the face of the 21st century.

[#FF0000]

Do yourself a favor and go read everything the Exiled has about Thomas Friedman (http://exiledonline.com/thomas-friedman-the-empires-useful-idiot-an-exile-classic/)

[Grenzer]

Thanks for the link, F.


What kills me is that these Tea Partiers are convinced it's "big government" and "the politicians" that are to blame. Yet they will fall over themselves trying to cheer on the likes of Ron Paul and his message of small government and deregulation. They don't bother to ask what comes with that or that a smaller government under capitalism is the same class but with fewer of them running. More wealth concentrated in few hands. A small corporate elite if you will. That's the face of the 21st century.

Yes, it's very frustrating. It's incredibly obvious that "those politicians" running "big government" are the same exact people advocating "small government" and control all the wealth. I also like to point out to these people that instead of "big unaccountable government" running their lives, it will be big unaccountable corporations.

One of the things that frustrates me the most in American politics is how the word "democracy" has come to be synonymous with republicanism(as in the form of government, not the political movement by the Republican Party) when in fact they are two very different things. It's like newspeak from 1984, and it's only been within the past hundred years or so that this has happened. If you look at writings from the 19th century, the United States was always (correctly) referred to as a republic. Democracy, it was understood, was rule by the majority, which was very dangerous indeed.

As the article posted by F points out, one of the most annoying things about Friedman is that he's lauded by liberal elites but the reality is that he just sucks as a writer. Most of the people on this forum could probably write more interesting things than the shit he churns out.

[MarxSchmarx]

Thomas Friedman is one of those people who if they did not exist you would really have to invent them. This character is such an epitome of the smug, universally ridiculed clown that if it weren't for his wife's multibillion dollar mega fortune I'd be tempted to feel pity for.

I don't think anybody takes him at all seriously, except other pretentious, sad yuppies. Here is a great blog that was created after his pathetic Iraq war cheerleading:

http://tomfriedman.blogspot.com/
Seriously, this person is such a ridiculous caricature, I really, really would not be surprised if they are a massive inside joke.

[NewLeft]

:rolleyes: At people who put Chomsky and Friedman on the same plane.

[bcbm]

i want a free subscription to the nyt