Thomas Friedman and the Moustache of Understanding

[Big Ol' Smitty]

Neo-liberal Tom Friedman has become the poster boy for globalization and free trade. However, his NYT op-ed columns tend to suck nard, as do his books. But for some reason, wannabe pseudo-intellectuals tend to claim to just loooove his writing, as evidenced by all the pretentious folk who come in to buy his book at the store where I work.

 

A new measure of time was recently created for Friedman, called, you guessed it, The Friedman. It's six months.

 

Anyway, Freidman recently made a startling revelation on Tim Russert's show:

 

We got this free market, and I admit, I was speaking out in Minnesota--my hometown, in fact, and guy stood up in the audience, said, `Mr. Friedman, is there any free trade agreement you'd oppose?' I said, `No, absolutely not.' I said, `You know what, sir? I wrote a column supporting the CAFTA, the Caribbean Free Trade initiative. I didn't even know what was in it. I just knew two words: free trade.

 

http://alternet.org/blogs/video/39421/

 

WTF?!?

 

The leading pro-globalization pundit doesn't even know what CAFTA stands for or what was in it?!?

 

One of my favorite guys, David Sirota, absolutely ripped Friedman a new one.

 

So here's a little cartoon in honor of Tom and his moustache:

 

[Guest Felonies!]

Wait, he's the guy who wrote The World Is Flat? I hated that book. He must say "and that's when I realized the world is flat!" like fifty times, and I only got through half the book.

[Dobbs 3K]

I hate those comic strips.

[cbacon]

I have to read The World Is Flat for class this year

[Big Ol' Smitty]

So does my girlfriend. You should show this clip to your teacher/prof.

[Guest Felonies!]

That video made me laugh.

 

By the way, what's with St. Louis Park, Minnesota? Al Franken, Tom Friedman, the Coen brothers; place must have more famous Jews per capita than any other city.

[Big Ol' Smitty]

If they have a homecoming parade, and the Coen brothers don't show, they should deport everyone in that city.

[Guest Felonies!]

Fargo is a hell of a movie. Don't listen to what Minnesotans tell you: they do talk like that.

[Guest Vitamin X]

as evidenced by all the pretentious folk who come in to buy his book at the store where I work.

 

Wait, where do you work?

[Big Ol' Smitty]

I used to work at a bookstore.

 

(As of yesterday, I'm a teacher, though)

[Guest Vitamin X]

yes but which bookstore? independent?

 

I work at Borders

[Big Ol' Smitty]

indy

[Gary Floyd]

I don't have anything to say except I love the title of this thread. Sounds like the best movie title never used.

[Guest TheGameah]

Fargo is a hell of a movie. Don't listen to what Minnesotans tell you: they do talk like that.

 

Only the severely undereducated (and those far north of Duluth).

[Guest Felonies!]

Pshaw. Most people in Wisconsin, let alone people in Minnesota, can't even say "put the milk and soda in the bag" without sounding like extras from Fargo.

[Guest TheGameah]

Pshaw. Most people in Wisconsin, let alone people in Minnesota, can't even say "put the milk and soda in the bag" without sounding like extras from Fargo.

 

But oddly enough a large number of the nation's broadcasters come from the region because they have what is widely considered to be an inoffensive accent.

 

Let me guess...with all of this pent up animosity towards people from WI and MN...you must be from Chicago. Am I right?

[Art Sandusky]

Haha.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Lexus and the Olive Tree is much better than the World is Flat. I'm having to force myself to get through it because I'm bored with the repetition of "THE WORLD IS FLAT!!!"