Thomas Friedman, Dirty Hippie

[phantom power]

An increasing number of "serious" people are coming to realize far too late the multinational corporations and the global financial elite really don't follow any rules anymore, and don't intend to. This is shocking to them. They never saw it coming even as they championed the asset-driven economic policies that empowered those same elites.

Conservatives and neoliberals alike assume that rule of law, infrastructure and basic decency just happen. They're part of the automatic background of society, and they notice it as little as fish notice the water they swim in. It really doesn't occur to them that when you weaken the structures that support those things, they can and do disappear. Infrastructure decays without upkeep. Corporations and elites realize that there are no consequences to openly flouting the rule of law. Decency is for losers and suckers.

And then they recoil in shock at the consequences of the ideologies they themselves advocated, without even realizing the implicit connection.

In the endless debate between whether our elites are evil or stupid, the kindest thing we can say about Thomas Friedman is that at least he's apparently not evil. Welcome to the shrill hippie club, Mr. Friedman. Here's hoping you spend a little time assessing how we got to this point, and your role in helping create our current predicament.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/thomas-friedman-dirty-hippie-by-david.html

[snagglepuss]

1. "Conservatives and neoliberals alike assume that rule of law, infrastructure and basic decency just

happens"


That is spot on. Thansk for posting.


K & R

[bemildred]

2. K&R.

"shrill hippie club".

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. few people have done more to propagandize the world into the policies that caused this mess

Mr. Friedman was utterly utopian about the glorious future under globalized free-trade. I hope he realizes that he shares some responsibility for what he helped cause.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Welcome aboard

And he's probably gone to an occupy...good for you, and noticed it is just as apolitical.

[On the Road]

6. Friedman is Not an Ideological Hack

and he's seen a lot of the world. I am really glad he's writing columns like this -- it helps greatly to broaden the base of support for more egalitarian policies.

[woo me with science]

7. K&R

What a great article.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Who knew?

The hippies were and are, right on.