[lbo-talk] Silly Little Aside on Friedman

[David Green]

Friedman declared in December that he was off to a 4-month "book" leave, but 
he's been brought back to tell us how to think about Egypt. He says, in so many 
words, that it's a triumph of neoliberalism. In an ironic way, it is, insofar as 
the notion of freedom is being taken seriously--but not of course in the manner 
that Friedman thinks. He is also there to say--counter neocons like Gordis, 
Makovsky, and Halevi in the NYT in recent days, and in agreement with 
Brooks--that this is not about Israel, etc. Again, he's right, up to a point. 
But eventually it will be about a different policy towards Israel/Gaza/PA, etc., 
if democracy takes root in Egypt, all of which TF can't address. In sum, after 
essentially supporting Mubarak and applauding him for his economic policies, 
Friedman wants us to think that the Egyptian people are now getting the 
"freedom" part of neoliberalism/globalization right, because of Mubarak's lack 
of foresightedness, as if dictator's should listen to Friedman. Friedman is 
triumphant--the people of Egypt recognize that he has been right all along. And 
don't worry about his abiding faith in Mubarak. To be fair, he criticized the 
repression from time to time. But to be honest, he can't acknowledge that 
repression is what neoliberalism, Friedman or Mubarak style, is all about.

http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/thomas-friedman-on-egypt-record-ii.html