Freidman: A Theory Of Everything

The New York Times ^ | 06/01/03 | THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

[melsec]

Rock on, Ozzies. Love you guys. I hope no-one sees my posts as a criticism of America as a whole. As someone who is patriotically Australian I believe that America is still the greatest nation on earth>

God Bless

Mel

[Skywalk]

Honestly though, that's not what people fear from American culture, and most people who say that are among the few in their nations uttering such statements.

Ask yourself THIS question: Why does a Muslim "conservative" fear American culture? Is it because of porn, or is it because women might become equal partners in society? Is it gangsta rap or the idea that a theocratic system of government will not hold up with Americanized youth?

Why do youth in Iran embrace America? Because of porn? LOL I don't think so. Why did Burmese rebels cheer for the fall of Saddam? Because they know that America was taking down a dictator and wish that we'd help them. They were realistic that we won't, but they appreciated the meaning of our actions.

Even Hollywood movies are not ALL junk. After all, Gladiator successfully transmitted ideas like loyalty and honor to millions of viewers. M. Night Shyalaman makes movies about faith and finding your place in this world.

Yes, a lot is junk. But to overlook the APPEAL of American culture and merely pick out the horrid aspects(really, isn't American porn far more tame than German anyway?) is to completely ignore the appeal of freedom, creativity and the importance of the individual.

For every Britney Spears there's a modest Michelle Branch. For every Don Simpson-type producer there's a sincere artist or defender of liberty.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I know - I agree with you. It was the first book I had really read about the Middle East and the crisis there, and it left a deep impression - I think because I went through the learning process with him, as it were. He and I both started by knowing very little, and by the end of the book I felt I had learned what he had learned and gone through the experiences with him.

I remember, I stayed up nights to read it and took it to school with me. It was very intriguing. The writing style was perfect and it kept me hooked. Almost like a novel; but not quite. Difficult to explain.

[ontos-on]

Friedman is foolishly determined not to see that it was America's objective, set by the Reagan administration, to be totally dominant militarily in order to win the cold War, that placed the US so far beyond the USSR and, naturally, all the other countries. Friedman will underestimate military might every day of the week and twice on Sunday. He pretends that it is only a question of choice by other countries as to why we arent challenged militarily. This is nonesense.

Damn straight we are benign. But Friedman also wants to underestimate this hegemonic fact about the US. We are the greatest force for good in the world. Strong and reliable. Despite all our errors that make us less strong than we could be,[eg. indulgence of illegal invasion of our borders], we are the strongest and the best. American goodness is not something Friedman wants to admit.

Mainly this is because he believes American exceptionalism is naive. Au contraire, it is the truth.

[Skywalk]

Could you imagine the former Soviet Empire as THE hyperpower in the world? Or China? Or even France?

Now, THOSE are some countries that you'd have to go to war against.

[melsec]

Gee. Isn't the stuff on censorship an ammendment to the original constitution. I could be wrong there. You might want to look at the intention and spirit of your constitution as well - I am quite sure that the Founding Fathers intended it more so that free speech would not be supressed. They would all have a collective heart attack if they could see what successive generations have done to the Constitution and in the name of it. or are you really trying to tell me they would have been all for porno. Once again I would point out that I am only being critical of your pop culture. You might want to get a firm grasp on what that means before you stand so shoulder to shoulder witht the porn industry. Ha ha loved the bit about comparing me to the Saudis that was really useful.

Try answering the rest of my post. BTW did I advocate changing laws. It's not the conservatives that are changing the laws but rather the Liberals who are either having them changed or reinterpretted by the Supreme Court.

:)Mel

[quidnunc]

Melsec wrote: Once again I would point out that I am only being critical of your pop culture.

And once again I will point out that it's our pop culture and we're not forcing it down your throats, you're importing and consuming it voluntarily.

Consequently if it's giving you heartburn that's your problem not ours.

[melsec]

I agree with the majority of what you have said and once again you really need to have a look at what is pop culture and what is the ture heart of American culture and where that comes from.

Why did Muslims fear American culture - because of the moral force behind it. Why have many gone from fear to loathing and hate because they do see America as morally bankrupt (I am not saying I agree with that). The fundy Muslims mistakenly beleived that what they saw and heard through American pop culture was a true representation of what Amercia had become.

I am able to compare the level of vulgarity of American v's German porn.:)

[A Citizen Reporter]

I find it very interesting that this nytimes columunist is soliciting opinions with an email address.

"Where we are now," says Nayan Chanda, publications director at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization (whose Web site yaleglobal .yale.edu is full of valuable nuggets), "is that you have this sullen anger out in the world at America.

The problem with Friedman and this Yalie's words, are that the same can be said about most of the leftist or typical democrats in the US. The criticism hasn't been from without. The world's view of the US, has originated from the leftists inside the US, like Friedman.

[Mr. Mojo]

Friedman is so damn tiresome. ...The same ole crybaby nonsense, worrying and wondering to death about why everyone doesn't love us.

[plusone]

The US can't and won't maintain this dominance. Simply because it is too expensive. Empires always collapse under the weight of the bureaucratic/military infrastructure needed to maintain their far flung holdings and interests. Probably the closest parallel to the current US position would be Spain during the 1500's. With the Aztec gold pouring in to their coffers, the Spanish kings were, for a time, the wealthiest and most influential people in Europe. The Spanish dubloon became sort of an internation currency for a time, and Spain maintained a huge armada to protect its interests. But the expense of this influence drained away the hoardes of gold, and within the century, Spain was reduced to a second rate used-to-be.

[melsec]

I never said you were forcing it down my throat and yes it is our problem. I also never suggested at any stage that it was empirialistic. But I see you would rather blindly hold on to some notion that everything is good as long as it's free and that all things are good as long as we can proclaim ourselves unfettered from Government inteference.

Mel

[melsec]

I never said you were forcing it down my throat and yes it is our problem. I also never suggested at any stage that it was empirialistic. But I see you would rather blindly hold on to some notion that everything is good as long as it's free and that all things are good as long as we can proclaim ourselves unfettered from Government inteference.

Mel

[Skywalk]

That wouldn't be an issue if the government weren't so damn wasteful. And if we didn't have loads of entitlement programs. Cut THOSE out, leave the Constitutional functions of the federal government in and the US would never find worry over fiscal difficulties with the military.

[melsec]

ROTFLOL that should have read unable - Freudian slip? - I don't think so>:)Mel

[quidnunc]

Melsec wrote: I never said you were forcing it down my throat and yes it is our problem. I also never suggested at any stage that it was empirialistic. But I see you would rather blindly hold on to some notion that everything is good as long as it's free and that all things are good as long as we can proclaim ourselves unfettered from Government inteference.

Mostly I've just had a belly-full of foreigners lapping up American institutions like candy and then ragging on us for the perceived harm that those institutions are doing to their culture.

So when that happens my response is beginning to be "CENSORED you and the horse you rode in on!"

[plusone]

Yes, I've just read that medicare/soc.sec liabilites are projected to top 44 Trillion $ as the boomers start to retire. For a comparison, the total US Fed debt is about 7 Trillion $. Just how the Feds expect to get the money to pay for this, I don't know. My guess is they will try to float more bonds to cover this, but where will the money come from to buy all these bonds? It will take very high interest rates to coax enough money into such a large offering. A better guess is that they will do a combination move: cut entitlements/raise taxes/print money. Either way, we will end up like the 16th century Spanish. Bankruptred into poverty. And all the hand wringing by the Fed Reserve about Deflation...

[melsec]

Thanks for the spirited debate, I really enjoyed it. I do not agree with you but thank God we both live in countries where we can express our opinions without too much fear. I am glad you stuck to your guns and kept coming back at me I am sure it is good iron for keeping our senses sharp.

Must go and actually do some work - that's what they're paying me for!

All the best,

Mel

I will check back later so if you want to get a final word in - "give it to me baby" (pop culture quote LOL).

[Skywalk]

Hmm sounds more like a giant revolt will occur, wherein the young will kill the old.

Reminds me of the Star Trek episode where once people turned 60 on a certain planet(or was it 50?) they had to submit to ritual suicide to prevent themselves from becoming a burden on society.

[Quix]

VERY GOOD and fitting food for thought, IMHO.

THANKS MUCH.