Blowin' in the wind

OP-ED: From Baby-Sitting to Adoption, By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, New York Times, September 5, 2009

A poor piece from Friedman with a useless analogy that reveals his hopelessly American-centric take on the subject. It was always going to be a very long babysitting job, just like Iraq (where I first used that phrase in the original PNM article for Esquire in 2003).

The "adoption" concept is almost Cold War-ish in its limited logic: only America can assume full guardianship.

For a long-term thinker, Friedman changes his mind way too often. That's why he's ill-suited as a guide on strategy. He reflects popular thinking, but he's not up for truly driving it.

Consistency makes you a more boring pundit, but there's no role in educating the public if you're always responding to their fears.

Comments

[Patrick O'Connor]

Writing for the NY Times does that to Friedman, Krugman, Brooks, etc.For the baseball fan, it is like getting the job because you are Albert Pujols but once you have it you become Dave Kingman. Home run or nothing.

[Louis Heberlein]

'For a long-term thinker, Friedman changes his mind way too often. That's why he's ill-suited as a guide on strategy. He reflects popular thinking, but he's not up for truly driving it.'

Unfortunately there is too often insufficient time during critical periods to 'drive' popular thinking. So our leaders have to find ways to cope and use workable, but imperfect methods.

[tom leto]

my sentiments exactly.