Friedman hits one out of the park with his column 9/11 is over. But first some comments from Juan Cole (The guy who made a fool out of Jonah Goldberg).
The column is significant because it argues that Bushism- Cheneyism is bad for business. The United States is the world's foremost business society, and virtually everything in the society (low taxes on the wealthy, no health care for the middle classes and poor, no protections for labor organizers, favoring of certain kinds of international trade over lower middle class job security, etc.) is arranged for the convenience of the business classes. If Friedman's conviction becomes widespread in that community, the pressures to abandon the 'War on Terror' will be irresistible.
http://www.juancole.com/...
This is the best column Freidman has ever written although it is a little lateb and- despite his protestations, he was a war supporter.
It is not that I thought we had new enemies that day and now I don’t. Yes, in the wake of 9/11, we need new precautions, new barriers. But we also need our old habits and sense of openness. For me, the candidate of 9/12 is the one who will not only understand who our enemies are, but who we are.
Before 9/11, the world thought America’s slogan was: "Where anything is possible for anybody." But that is not our global brand anymore. Our government has been exporting fear, not hope: "Give me your tired, your poor and your fingerprints."
You may think Guantánamo Bay is a prison camp in Cuba for Al Qaeda terrorists. A lot of the world thinks it’s a place we send visitors who don’t give the right answers at immigration. I will not vote for any candidate who is not committed to dismantling Guantánamo Bay and replacing it with a free field hospital for poor Cubans. Guantánamo Bay is the anti-Statue of Liberty.
The take away? Well, if the Global War on terror is bad for business, then maybe well stop fighting it. Every single thing in our society is based on profit. Even the invasion. Looks like the invasion may be bad for the profiteers. We have lost 10% of business travel since our new visa and entry rules went into effect. Our competition is flying past us in wireless networks and infrastructure. Other nations are forming trade pacts outside of our purview or influence. The dollar is dropping. The European stock market has passed ours in value. The Euro has passed the dollar as the number one form of currency.
9/11 did not destroy us. It may yet.
Quote of the day: from Friedman: Guantanamo Bay is the Anti Statue of Liberty
http://www.nytimes.com/...