Should Tom Friedman Get Canned Along With Kristol?

There is rejoicing that William Kristol was given a pink slip from the Grey Lady. After all, his columns read like they were written by a Weekly Standard copy boy, not a distinguished opinion-maker. But there are more and more murmurs percolating online that Thomas Friedman's column should get the kibosh as well. Not because he went from globalization bible-thumper to born-again environmentalist overnight -- columnists are chameleons, cheerleading for whatever cause is hip that day. Not because his columns involve lazy journalism (i.e. quoting cab drivers), sloppy metaphors (pouring water out of broken vases and such), and a scary reliance on Johns Hopkins' Michael Mandelbaum and an overused quip about how nobody ever washed a rental car (you would think a green zealot like him would plug Zipcar, no?).

Friedman is the worst kind of columnist because he is given tremendous access to the world's business leaders yet he is so utterly pathetic at questioning what they are up to. The Pulitzers on his mantelpiece have gathered dust and it shows. Case in point: When he writes about India as a beacon of innovation, he loves nothing more than to source B. Ramalinga Raju of Satyam Computer Services. But he never lifts up any rocks. Had he done any actual reporting, he would have found that Raju had fleeced his company (and the World Bank) for trillions of rupees. Instead, Friedman, in a typical cheeky column about India's "E2K" energy revolution, applauds the fact that Satyam HQ has a zoo. Wow. Even worse, in his most recent book, he calls Raju "one of the most dynamic business leaders in India." Right. I'm half-surprised he didn't call Merrill Lynch's John Thain "a masterful interior decorator."

Indeed, leaf through the index of any of Friedman's tomes and you will probably find tomorrow's scandal-making CEOs. The question is: Does Friedman know that the folks he interviews to sell his books are crooks and just looks the other way, for fear of giving up his perks and privileged access? If so, then he's a bad reporter, a negligent sycophant who has compromised his duties as a columnist at the paper of record -- and he should be let go.

Of course, making fun of Tom Friedman has become something of a parlor game among bloggers and windbags like myself, an easy and fruitless exercise that will yield no results (let's face it, he's not going to be let go). But it is worth noting how someone who wrote maybe the best book on the Middle East, From Beirut To Jerusalem, which I was reminded of as I sat through Waltz With Bashir, would become a paycheck-cashing mouthpiece and shill for the world's corporate villains. My, how the mightiest of pens has fallen.

Comments

[TheIdeologicalDyslexic]

If The World Is Flat is for idiots, then I must not only be an ideological dyslexic; I suppose I'm culturally retarded as well. Luckily The World Is Flat is not for idiots, it was a much needed primer for millions about some of the biggest challanges facing the world today. I couldn't help but notice that Friedman admits to mistakes he'd made while writing The Lexus and the Olive Tree in it as well... While I do agree that Friedman has gone overboard in his support of Israel and especially in his support for the invasion of Iraq, the claims that he doesn't recognize his mistakes and the refusal to credit him for his attempts to present both sides of the Middle Eastern dilemma (s) is simply untrue and unfair.

88% of Americans were all about some Freedom Fries, but no one commenting here, right? I'm sure from the even handed treatment afforded to Friedman here that all of you belonged to the 12% who didn't.... (Bulls**t!)
Friedman at least has, contrary to the allegations I've read, tried to offer solutions for Iraq: Read "Time for Plan B" http://select.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/opinion/04friedman.html
Oh- and he sure is a real jerk for raising awareness about the dangers of climate change and for making 'Green' politics more credible in Hot, Flat, and Crowded, isn't he....NOT!

[JanaNYC]

Anyone who doesn't believe that Friedman has gotten lazy - and cloyingly cutesy - should check out his column today, in which he imagines what King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia would have said about a "five-state solution" to the Israel-Palestine problem, IF the king had consented to an interview.

[bumpersticker]

Friedman serves a purpose, but he has the disturbing habit of presenting selected anecdotes as proof of broad and deep truths. He fancies himself a prophet, and there's usually some useful information revealed in what seems to be his sincere attempts at prophecy.

[opines]

Friedman should have been fired when Judith Miller exited. Both were willing conduits of neocon misinformation. His pro-Israel bias should disqualify him on Mideast matters. His free trade mantra will be out-of-touch with coming economic events.

The NY Times has no intention of firing him. His columns define their agenda.

[argyle]

It's what happens when the observers become what they are observing. He's not reporting differently. His experience is different. These people treat him like he is one of them and he believes it. Why shouldn't he? How many people in the world have such a pulpit? How many years being fawned over by the rich and powerful would it take anyone to start to believe it?

[joebhed]

OMG -y'all are making me feel sorry for all things I said about Tom Friedman.

[Balzac]

As if he was ever good in the first place.

[realpolitic]

Friedman has never really apologized for his unmitigated support of the Iraq war and how wonderful it would be for Israel. He just goes on to different topics. I do not really like to listen to people who are so in love with the sound of their own voice, as Freidman obviously is.

[rock2casbah]

The sad thing is the consensus over here is thatt "So what he was dead wrong about something as huge as the war at least he is interesting". I think we are so used to mediocrity that we just accept anything. What is going to have the newest political columnists to strive for accuracy and equnamity if nothing happens to those who totally fail in those areas. Why even try? As long as when you screw up you hop on the newest bandwagon and go with that flow as fast as possible.

[realpolitic]

Friedman is very good at talking and talking at length. When interrupted with a question he often gets off track. I like those who can express their views concisely and do not act as salesmen by going on and on. It is hard to be wrong when making an argument that technology is integral to our lives, like Friedman does. Whether it will bring us together or just elites together is another question. I think mostly Friedman is saying alot about nothing.

[Economike]

Kristol got canned? All I can say is, Oh happy day. Now if we can just get rid of Fox News.

[strangerinthenight]

Friedman, I can tolerate but Dowd, she's another that should go. In fact, Down should be next. I hope she'd be cleaning her desk soon.

Miller, Dowd, Friedman and yes, the knockle head Kristol.

[CarmanK]

On the contrary, I think Dowd is uniquely qualified to work for the NY Times. As for Friedman, he has admitted his error in the support of the Iraq war. I think he does his interviews for new or possibly innovative ideas. He leaves it up to others to "dig the dirt" about public and elected personalities. If he sat in judgement on each of his subjects, he wouldn't have the opportunity to so many people in power. I have never seen Charlie Rose take on his visitors in any but a respectful manner. It is the art of the interview, that reveals the thoughts behind the man and his power.

[klondiker]

Tom Friedman will never be fired. He brings in a lot of dough for NYT. His column is syndicated and appears in something like 600 newspapers around the world. He, along with Maureen Dowd, is probably the most popular NYT columnist.

[RumiSouth]

"But it is worth noting how someone who wrote maybe the best book on the Middle East, 'From Beirut To Jerusalem,' which I was reminded of as I sat through 'Waltz With Bashir,' would become a paycheck-cashing mouthpiece and shill for the world's corporate villains. My, how the mightiest of pens has fallen."

That is EXACTLY what I've been thinking since 2002. Is this the same guy who used to write that incredible column in the NYT? Really? I don't think so. That Tom Friedman has been replaced with an alien cyborg clone.

[jakesinger]

Yes! I hope the NYT is reading today's column. Thomas Friedman is such an empty shill, he should have his poetic license revoked.

Tom Friedman is like a guest at a fancy dinner party who's giddy with gratitude at being invited. He'll laugh at anyone's jokes, listen wide-eyed to anyone's tall tales and repeat them as gospel to stay in his hosts' favor. Tom Friedman knows very well who his gold ticket came from, and that's who's gonna fill his dance card.

[Biffmeister]

Yes. His anti UAW stance did it for me.

[StrayCatzX5]

I second that. The editorial "policy" of our local fish-wrap mirrors that of ol' TF(plus they have his column on the Op/Ed pages)-and this is in the birthplace of the UAW! How easily the anti-union forces forget that our wages,and that ability to spend them,built this nation;businesses large and small grew because of our capability to purchase goods and services. Take that away from us,and other workers,and you see what happens;gee,I believe it's happening now...

[Rule Of Law]

He's anti worker. Just google who he married.

[Joshik72]

Improv time is over. This is crunch time. Tom Friedman's column will be won or lost in the next six months. But it won't be won with high rhetoric. It will be won on the ground in a war over the last mile.

[Bruce388]

One might even say Friedman's column has reached a "tipping point."