Category Archives: Judaism & Jews

Thomas Friedman: Still Consistently Foolish About Everything After All These Years

Intellectualism, Iraq, Islam, Judaism & Jews, Middle East, Neoconservatism

Rolling Stone is hardly a place for profound ideas, but even they don’t take Thomas Friedman seriously.

I hoped I had heard the last of this fatuous, smug, celebrity journo when, superimposed upon the program of another “gem” of veracity and virtue, Fareed Zakaria Plagiarizer, Friedman could be heard venturing, recently, that ISIS appeals to young men because these are “young men who’ve never held power, a job or a girl’s hand and joined ISIS to get all three.”

For once I agree with John Maynard Keynes, who, in preparation for Bretton Woods, was known to have muttered something to the effect that (and I paraphrase), the Americans have all the money; we British have all the brains.

Friedman still persists in rejecting reality. The failed invasions he once cheered have brought this dolt no closer to the realization that, “Evil is part of the human condition, always has been, always will be; that it can’t be wished away, treated away, medicated away, legislated away,” or invaded away.

So many body bags later (ours; theirs), and Friedman is no closer to the intuitive understanding that young men need the anchor of a strong, muscular belief system for which they might consider dying. Why do America’s best and brightest sell their souls (and sacrifice lives and limbs) to Uncle Sam? Heroism (perceived or real) is in a man’s nature. You can’t tweak it out of him like an unsightly nose hair. And you can’t replace it, Mr. Friedman, with an iPad or a subscription to Match.com for Muslim singles. The spiritual nullity that is the West is no inspiration to Muslim men (and increasingly not to our own), many of whom want- and need to be engaged in epic battles.

The truly gifted Myron Robert Pauli quips, “Ah yes, I am going to BLOW MYSELF UP and take other people with me because, (1) my job is non-existent and/or sucks (roughly 95 percent of humanity), and (2) I am horny (roughly 95 percent of men). What brilliant insight into Muslim terrorists—as if atheists and Christians and Jews never have sucky jobs and get horny! Such deep thinking conjures movies like ‘Mars Needs Women,’ with the late Yvonne ‘Batman’ Craig.”

Here is our Friedman File spanning over a decade:

In “PUNDITS, HEAL THYSELVES!” (May 29, 2004), Thomas joined “Christopher Hitchens (who, unlike TF, was undeniably a writer of considerable flair and originality), George Will and Tucker Carlson (both of whom conveniently recanted at the eleventh hour), Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Mark Steyn, Max Boot, John Podhoretz, Andrew Sullivan – as they grab the Bush administration’s Iraq bluff and run with it showing their utter ignorance of geopolitical realities; insisting our soldiers would be greeted with blooms and bonbons and that an Iraqi democracy would rise from the torrid sands of Mesopotamia.

In “HIS RHETORIC, OUR REALITY,” Thomas is shown to have bastardized an important, modest principle of Judaism to better comport with his political ends (January 26, 2005). Top be fair, Friedman doesn’t know better.

In “Foul Tom Friedman,” Tom sticks to familiar territory: fouling up the meaning of capitalism.

And, in “Obama’s And Abdullah’s Plans for Israel,” Thomas Friedman joins that intellectual giant Wolf Blitzer in uproarious applause for Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s suggestion that Israel beat a retreat to the pre-1967 borders.

“Mr. Friedman,” notes a reader (hat tip Allen Cogbill), in response to this post, “has such deep ideas that a couple of fellows actually wrote an op-ed generator that generates columns for him. They did a nice job”:

Immigrants Who Accept Judaism

IMMIGRATION, Israel, Judaism & Jews, Technology

Four minutes and 40 seconds into this rather good video about Israeli and Jewish innovation, an entrepreneur speaks up for the contribution of immigrants who come to Israel. The camera pans out to show North African Jews lovingly carrying the Torah and Japanese Jews deep in prayer. To see Japanese Jews praying at the Wailing Wall is certainly moving. Who would have imagined!

But the distinctly American narrator thinks his Jewish viewers are dumb not to notice that all Israel’s diverse-looking immigrants are wearing kippot (yarmulkes), praying to the same G-d, and holding the same ancient Scriptures close to their hearts.

Do you think this cultural and religious cohesion might have something to do with these immigrants’ love of country and joy of assimilation? Indeed, Israel: Don’t give us the diversity crap: you welcome Jews and Jews only to the Jewish State.

Personally, I wish Israelis would assemble a book of Israeli jokes:

Here’s what a Jewish mother says to a Jewish child aged 7, to spur him to better things:

“After all I’ve done for you, is asking for one Nobel Prize really too much?”

Don’t Appropriate Jewish Angst, Black People

Judaism & Jews, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Race, Racism

Angry black mobs on campuses throughout the US have been bitching about the affront the “poop swastika” has caused them. Some of these stuttering Black Lives Matter sorts could barely pronounce the word “swatika,” and most certainly did not know the insignia’s history. Since when was the swastika offensive to blacks? It’s tied up with Jewish grief. I don’t see Jews rioting about “poop swastika,” so hush your mouths about it. The “swastika” is one less thing for your pretty little heads, so clearly unburdened by brains, to kvetch about.

The Best Family Is The One You Get To Choose

America, Family, Judaism & Jews

The best evening ever was had, last night, with The Vietnamese Family (we’re fortunate to have a Lebanese one, too). Thrown into a marvelous mix of individuals was a new black sister (who happens to be Jewish, too). First up is the exotically beautiful BFF—I don’t know if generous and kind, funny and animated come through in the pic, but she made the best lobster ever. There was good cheer, good humor and good spirits, double entendre intended. Yes, water is a superb drink when taken with the right spirits.