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froborr

(Untitled)

Sep 22, 2008 13:01

So, um, bit of a major development this weekend: starlightv moved in. We had been talking seriously about living together a few months down the line, maybe starting early next year, but a series of unexpected events on Saturday led to her suddenly finding herself in need of a new place to live, so... yeah. I helped yesterday move a bunch of her stuff from ( Read more... )

Comments 4

anonymous September 23 2008, 00:20:32 UTC

Congratulations to you, you sound like you're doing well ( ... )

froborr September 23 2008, 03:09:14 UTC

I have a very slightly more charitable read -- that "civilizational" refers to the so-called "clash of civilizations". Still, I agree with you, his view on the Muslim world is extremely myopic.

This book seems rather better-researched than his columns, though that's not saying much.

anonymous September 23 2008, 05:04:41 UTC

My favorite "insight" from Friedman is his "McDonald's is key to Middle East peace" gem from THE LEXUS AND THE OLIVE TREE. No two countries, apparently, with McDonald's restaurants have fought wars with one another. Thus.... (Apparently Pizza Hut and Hardees don't count, since Lebanon has those...I'd be surprised if they don't also have a McDonald's).

If he does mean "civilizational" as "clash of civilizations," I think that makes his views even worse. Nonetheless, I see what you are saying.

-CHRIS

froborr September 23 2008, 13:14:03 UTC

It makes his views more reprehensible, but less nonsensical. If that sentence makes any sense?

Anyway, yeah, he's just plain wrong about the Middle East. He makes the classic American mistake of trying to reduce it to the One Thing It's About. The mythical One Thing is the key to bringing peace, freedom, and opportunity to the Middle East, and all true Mystics of the Opinion Page know this. Their main point of contention is what the One Thing is: American military presence? Water? Foreign investment? McDonald's?

And yes, a McDonald's opened in Lebanon in 2001, so he's outright wrong. Serbia also got its first in 1988, and it of course was attacked by NATO in 1998; all 16 of NATO's members at the time had McDonald's, so that's a total of 17 countries with McDonald's fighting one war.