Thomas Friedman returns...

[LibeMatt]

...looks like he's coming around to the fact that the Bush gang has blown it every chance they got.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/03/opinion/03friedman.html

Some excerpts:

"Sorry, I've been away writing a book. I'm back, so let's get right down to business: We're in trouble in Iraq.

"I don't know what is salvageable there anymore. I hope it is something decent and I am certain we have to try our best to bring about elections and rebuild the Iraqi Army to give every chance for decency to emerge there. But here is the cold, hard truth: This war has been hugely mismanaged by this administration, in the face of clear advice to the contrary at every stage, and as a result the range of decent outcomes in Iraq has been narrowed and the tools we have to bring even those about are more limited than ever.

<snip>

"For all of President Bush's vaunted talk about being consistent and resolute, the fact is he never established U.S. authority in Iraq. Never. This has been the source of all our troubles. We have never controlled all the borders, we have never even consistently controlled the road from Baghdad airport into town, because we never had enough troops to do it.

<snip>

"...my time off has clarified for me, even more, that this Bush team can't get us there, and may have so messed things up that no one can. Why? Because each time the Bush team had to choose between doing the right thing in the war on terrorism or siding with its political base and ideology, it chose its base and ideology...

<snip>
"

[Eric J in MN]

1. That op-ed is better than I expected (nt)

nt

[bemildred]

2. If, at some point, he confesses that it was stupid, immoral,

and barbaric to invade Iraq in the first place, I might be willing
to listen to what else he has to say. Barring that I have to
consider this sort of plaintive whining as ass-covering.

[Spinzonner]

3. Doesn't anyone have a wooden stake ...

[huckleberry]

4. Excellent editorial! This paragraph nails bush Iraq "policy" -

"Being away has not changed my belief one iota in the importance of producing a decent outcome in Iraq, to help move the Arab-Muslim world off its steady slide toward increased authoritarianism, unemployment, overpopulation, suicidal terrorism and religious obscurantism. But my time off has clarified for me, even more, that this Bush team can't get us there, and may have so messed things up that no one can. Why? Because each time the Bush team had to choose between doing the right thing in the war on terrorism or siding with its political base and ideology, it chose its base and ideology. More troops or radically lower taxes? Lower taxes. Fire an evangelical Christian U.S. general who smears Islam in a speech while wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army or not fire him so as not to anger the Christian right? Don't fire him. Apologize to the U.N. for not finding the W.M.D., and then make the case for why our allies should still join us in Iraq to establish a decent government there? Don't apologize - for anything - because Karl Rove says the "base" won't like it. Impose a "Patriot Tax" of 50 cents a gallon on gasoline to help pay for the war, shrink the deficit and reduce the amount of oil we consume so we send less money to Saudi Arabia? Never. Just tell Americans to go on guzzling. Fire the secretary of defense for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, to show the world how seriously we take this outrage - or do nothing? Do nothing. Firing Mr. Rumsfeld might upset conservatives. Listen to the C.I.A.? Only when it can confirm your ideology. When it disagrees - impugn it or ignore it."

[Lexingtonian]

5. a day late and a dollar short...

October 1, 2004. The day Tom Friedman caught on and realized that invading Iraq was all about domestic politics for the Bushies.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. So was allowing 9/11.....

:evilgrin:

[Raster]

11. Really, let's note this on the calendar.</sarcasm>

So, tell me Tom, you didn't think there were problems with this administration and the Iraq situation before now? Nothing, huh?

on edit: Another bush apologist appogizing. I imagine we'll be seeing a few more of those.

[Hand]

6. One word, Tommy...

DUH!!!

[Crunchy Frog]

8. God what an idiot!

I hate him so much. I am getting some real pleasure in watching him suffer though.}(

[jpgray]

9. Dumbest NYT editorial columnist in history

Just DUMB.

[ixion]

10. Friedman: We're in trouble in Iraq

Gee, you just figure that out now? Well, look at the big brain on you, Mr. Friedman.

I think we should bring Ms. Erlichman back and send you back into hiatus.

Even this supposed confession on Iraq is written in hedged language.

"This war has been hugely mismanaged by this administration"

-- Still calling it a 'war' when it was an illegal invasion.


"the fact is he never established U.S. authority in Iraq"

-- the fact is he never should have invaded a soverign nation who had not attacked us.

"Being away has not changed my belief one iota in the importance of producing a decent outcome in Iraq, to help move the Arab-Muslim world off its steady slide toward increased authoritarianism, unemployment, overpopulation, suicidal terrorism and religious obscurantism. "

-- Here's how he really feels. He is actually still parroting the 'bring democracy to the entire Middle East through Iraq" neocon talking point. It's interesting the the poster would crop this sentence off the paragraph, I think.

"We have to immediately get the Democratic and Republican politics out of this policy and start honestly reassessing what is the maximum we can still achieve there and what every American is going to have to do to make it happen. If we do not, we'll end up not only with a fractured Iraq, but with a fractured America, at war with itself and isolated from the world.
"

-- And again, for all his talk about "we're in trouble in Iraq", he's missing the big picture: that the US illegally invaded a soverign nation in violation of international law; that tens of thousands of civillians have been killed while trying to 'liberate' them.

Sooo... I can't say that my respect for Friedman has been in anyway increased by this doddering piece of garbage.