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2005-01-27 Home Front: Culture Wars

NYT - Tom Friedman - Euros Good, Bush Bad (surprised?)

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Posted by Frank G 2005-01-27 11:02:19 AM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 yawn.

Posted by 2b 2005-01-27 11:19:45 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:19:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Yawn - except for the spot on comments.

Posted by 2b 2005-01-27 11:20:50 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:20:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Shoulda gone to Israel, Japan, Australia and India. There's still time to cancel without having to pay penalties.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-01-27 11:27:54 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:27:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 How very anti-liberal. Didn't they always used to complain when they would speak and nobody would listen to them? They *never* assumed it was their fault, because they believed in their ideas. But now, when Bush speaks, clearly a man of belief, *and* a man who turns his beliefs into reality with considerable success, the liberals put their fingers in their ears and go "LaLaLaLaLaLa! I can't hear you!" In that way, they sound just like their anti-segregationist forbears sounded. Ironically, now, the left (and Europe) is so empty of new ideas, so decadent in their philosophy, and so exhausted in their ideals, that they have nothing new to contribute. So they demand that others listen to them as they walk around with their fingers in their ears, going "LaLaLaLaLaLa!", as if that could ever change anything. Burning with jealosy and rage, like a small boy whose sister is giving a violin recital to the grown-ups to some acclaim, they hide under the table, red-faced, crying and cursing, "Stop that! #*$*%@^&*!"

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-01-27 11:31:13 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:31:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Stay home and save the airfare. Tell the whiners it's Bush contribution to stop global warming.

Posted by ed 2005-01-27 11:41:39 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:41:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 The author is missing something obvious. These people are victims of the European media which is one constant drum beat of anti-Americanism. It's is couched in the language of anti-Bush spin but it is actually anti-Americanism. The 68ers as they are called dominate the press in Europe. Their hate for the the United States palpable and they control the media and much of many European governments. The United States of America is the cause of all wrong and misery is their meme. The author is on of them too so he misses this. He can't see this for what it is. George Bush the centrist is portrayed as a extreme right winger by European media. ( For God sakes he is a practicing Methodist a very liberal denomination.) Europe needs to hate the United States of America because the EU is a failure. Their economies are moribund. Their birth rates are not sustaining their culture. Europe is dying. They have decided to focus on the United Stats of America instead of themselves and fixing the serious problems they have.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-01-27 11:44:06 AM|| 2005-01-27 11:44:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 We had hope that Kerry would win and would make a statement, âAmerica is back to what it was four years ago.â

-which is why he lost. There's no going back to before 9/11. Wake up assholes.

I liked how this guy went to a trendy bar/beauty salon to canvas the "average" euro's opinion - tool.

As far as W going there and not speaking, I'm actually cool w/that tactic. Heck, I don't think our Prez should have to say anything to most of these folks. Let them put their $.02 in if it floats their boat, W should just say "thanks for your input" and do what needs to be done anyhow.

Posted by Jarhead 2005-01-27 12:28:22 PM|| 2005-01-27 12:28:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 âAmerica is back to what it was four years ago.â
Which is where their party stands. In the dicitionary that is REGRESSIVE. Of course in their own 1984 manner, they call themselves PROGRESSIVE.

Posted by Angoting Flineck5798 2005-01-27 12:58:58 PM|| 2005-01-27 12:58:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I spent most life in the U.S. and I could give a shit what Europe thinks about anything. If Tom likes the Euro stand so much he should pack up and move there. If he needs help packing I will be happy to oblige. Maybe we could trade him for TGA or Bulldog?

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2005-01-27 1:00:23 PM|| 2005-01-27 1:00:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Well, we know where Tom is spending his expense account money -- in trendy bars. If had interviewed a Soho bar owner and a NY food critic, he would have gotten the exact same response.

Years ago, I respected Freidman for the work he did in Beruit. But now, he has sunk to the level of AFP and AP. Couldn't he get off his fat ass ans interview some folks who aren't part of the chattering classes? How about some factory workers? Or a family living on the edge of a Turkish neighborhood?

Freidman just used up the last of his attaboy credits with me. From now on it's all ah shits.

Posted by 11A5S 2005-01-27 1:41:52 PM|| 2005-01-27 1:41:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Do an anonymous survey in Iran and you'll find quite a bit of support for George, especially amoung the under 30's which make up 60% of the popluation. Freedom is ony taken for granted when you have it. Unfortunately, Europe hasn't had to fight for it in 60 years. PS guys you wouldn't have it if we didn't fight for you. You can thank my grandfathers and great uncles at the same time you kiss my ass.

Posted by Rightwing 2005-01-27 2:02:57 PM|| 2005-01-27 2:02:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Bush took away our America
Their America? Binny and 19 hijackers took away "your" America, asshole. My America is still here and it's a stud!

Posted by Spot 2005-01-27 2:54:26 PM|| 2005-01-27 2:54:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Spot I would have said: We are not a bunch of disarmed pussies. We don't lay around a moan. We actually do things. Yipppy I O Kai A.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-01-27 3:13:43 PM|| 2005-01-27 3:13:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Oh well...

I prefer Bush to come to Germany over Friedman.

He'll have some nice people to talk to, don't you worry :-)

Posted by True German Ally 2005-01-27 3:33:36 PM|| 2005-01-27 3:33:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Europeans love to make fun of naÃ¯ve American optimism, but deep down, they envy it and they want America to be that open, foreigner-embracing, carefree, goofily enthusiastic place that cynical old Europe can never be

It's really astonishing to think that the above slop is put forward as a breakthrough insight by the NY Times' preeminent analyst of foreign affairs. It's bad enough that he tries to buttress this claim by boasting that he's spent a full ten days (!) hitting the bar/beauty shops of Europe-- no hard analysis of changes in popular opinion; no analysis of what people read, view, think; no effort to examine the effect of an even more biased and ludicrously slanted 1968er-dominated media upon popular views-- but this caricature of a stereotype doesn't even have any internal logic.

So Europeans hate the US now for hassling them at passport control at JFK? How many Europeans have endured this experience recently? A few thousand? How many patrons of Berlin's "Pony Club" have endured this? Two, three?

This is about as intelligent as arguing that Americans hate France because when they arrive at Charles de Gaulle they see black immigrants and patrols with automatic weapons and attack dogs instead of beautiful girls in short skirts and beret-clad intellectuals.

The divide is simple. We view this struggle as a war. Most Europeans think it's just another counter-terrorist police effort. They see no major difference between the islamofascists and Baader-Meinhoff or the Red Brigades and believe that Bush is imposing his own fundamentalist religious views (HISSSS!!! RELIGION--BAD!!) on the conflict, views which are in the Euros' eyes more reprehensible than Osama's views.

"Listen" my ass, Tommy Boy. We would have far more transatlantic understanding if our diplomats and traveling journos in Europe would insist, again and again, to anyone who will listen that this is war, it is a war against another version of fascism, and we will not make any excuses whatsoever for taking the fight to the fascists and defeating this scourge the only way it can be defeated: by trouncing it, with JDAMS and ballots both.

Posted by lex 2005-01-27 4:01:46 PM|| 2005-01-27 4:01:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Bet Bush listens real good to some Euros on this trip. ;-)

Posted by Seafarious 2005-01-27 4:11:56 PM|| 2005-01-27 4:11:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 There is nothing that the Europeans want to hear from George Bush, there is nothing that they will listen to from George Bush that will change their minds about him or the Iraq war or U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Bush is more widely and deeply disliked in Europe than any U.S. president in history.

Three words: So Phuquing What???

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-27 6:03:15 PM|| 2005-01-27 6:03:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 "I heard it while doing interviews at the Pony Club, a trendy bar/beauty parlor in East Berlin."

With that '70's porn mustache, I'd be careful about admitting to going to places like the Pony Club, Tommy Boy.

Also, Stefan Elfenbein (the Germans have food critics?) says "We had hope that Kerry would win and would make a statement, âAmerica is back to what it was four years ago.â"

I too wish America could go back four years. That way we could stop the 9/11 hijackers from murdering 6 people I knew, along with three thousand others. What a stupid Dieter! Sorry, TGA.

Posted by Tibor 2005-01-27 6:23:23 PM|| 2005-01-27 6:23:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Sorry Tom - off by two. When Bush goes to Europe, he should say only two words - the second one is 'you'.

Posted by AJackson 2005-01-27 7:35:12 PM|| 2005-01-27 7:35:12 PM|| Front Page Top

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