Tom Friedman just appeared on two shows, Charlie Rose of PBS

...and Jon Steward on Comedy Network. Friedman was promoting his new book, "The World Is Flat, a Brief History of the 21st Century". His ideas and observations seem to clarify a lot of things, but it has not become clear as to just what all this means for America and working Americans. Great, we should all become smarter and more productive and creative. Meanwhile, the American workers diet will have to be a bowl of rice a day with possibly beans once a week for protein. Our over-lords, the corporate hierarchy still get to call all of the shots, including whether or not our jobs are out-sourced and everything that we've worked for goes back to our creditors.

I'm not sure on which program this was asked, but when Friedman was asked who he wants to see read his book, without hesitation he said President George W. Bush. He thinks the president and the country would benefit greatly because Friedman thinks his ideas could foster an energy independence program. Friedman also said that Bush has 3 1/2 years left in office to do something positive for the country, but he would have to hurry, because based on Friedman's research for the book, the country does not have 3 1/2 years to take action.

That's too bad, because Friedman's 300 page book will take Dubya the better part of 3 1/2 years just to read, unless Friedman comes out with a Cliff Notes Version or a Flat World for Dummies! However, I plan to get my copy and begin reading it ASAP.

This guy took a looooooong time to catch on to the criminal thugs who run this country.

Saw him on TDS last night (actually this morning, taped it).
Made some very good points.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

what a bunch of BS ...we have been screaming about it for years.

His idea of "energy independence" and creating jobs is "blue sky"...if it were possible...what are we waiting for?

Bring back the damn jobs and have "global labor laws" so there is equality amonsgt workers.

...upside down for most of the period between 9-11, 2001 until now.

about the US going down to meet India coming up - and Friedman said that the US was not going down.

It seems to me if you have people in other countries doing work in nearly every field that work is done in and they do it for 10% of what people do if for here - how in the heck can the US NOT be going down - to make everything flat as he is suggesting. It's not like the wages/cost of living in India, China, etc. are all of a sudden going to come up to ours.

Seemed like a duck to me. And really watered down his whole theory.

If his entire book is filled with such lack of insight for the US worker, I think I'll pass on it. He was acting as if this was a great thing for India and China that came at little or no cost to workers in the USA. Obviously he hasn't checked out the high-tech or manufacturing job markets in the last five years.

Friedman is pretty delusional to begin with, but if he is ignorant enough to think His Chimperial Highness would be open enough to consider an energy independence program, he's a bigger maroon that I imagined.

Bush is not an innovator -- he is a reactionary. He cannot think beyond resource extraction, wage slavery, and a corporate police state to enforce the two.

Bush's presidency has been all about stealing the remaining oil reserves, and maximizing his class's profits.

Does Friedman REALLY think Bush cares about this country? Time to pull his head out of his ass, look around, and quit fooling himself.

He'd have been better off supporting AL Gore in 2000, who had planned initiatives in energy independence.

i started yelling at the TV.

God dammit, that's OUR issue - or should have been. don't let the pukes take this one away & greenwash it.

yes, i am referring to the Kerry campaign's non-focus on this issue.

environmental issue AND a national security issue.

It was Kerry who said he would fully fund alternative energy research. It was Kerry who said America had a 10 year goal to land on the moon and they put all their resources into reaching that goal. We must do the same with energy independence.

That was a main Kerry theme from before the primaries, even, and he never let it drop.

The media let those soundbites hit the editing room floor.

Or is he going on these shows to hear himself talk again?