Friedman

Friedman surprises me all the time with his happy-go-lucky view as a quintessential liberal American Jew. I like his articles, I think he means well, and he is very knowledgeable... But I disagree sometimes.

This first one is something that has been widely publicized (not in Spain, of course). Good luck to Fayyadism. If we count all the opposite isms in the region and its history, I will give it a micronesimal success opportunity

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/opinion/05friedman.html?_r=1

Arab populist leaders, "moderates" or not, and their rhetoric are both the symptom and the malady that announce disaster for their people, their true Nakbah: as wealth and progress start blossoming, their instincts will fear them, as they fear steps towards freedom and democracy. Because they thrive in chaos, lies, corruption, ignorance, manipulation and, ultimately, failure.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09friedman.html?_r=1

And what about the settlements?. On the one side, I do not sympathize much with the extremist branch of the settlements movement, and their arrogance. On the other hand, I think the conflict gets constantly pulled to non-substantial aspects, to arguments and a language used by the people that have never missed a chance to miss their last chance, people that will always find an excuse to reject any kind of settlement, no matter how generous. Arafism, is it called?. It is as stupid to feel, say and act as if peace would be achievable if settlements were dismantled, as to place on Israel's occupation, or even its own existence, the key "grievance" at the root cause of Islamist violence, Western hatred and expansionism. The current US administration knows better than that and, hence, it uses the same language as the Arab demagogies' with bad faith. In addition, we would have to stand up for the right of Jews to live safely and peacefully in Palestinian territories once the two-state solution is reached, otherwise, how could we defend a quid-pro-quo for the Israeli-Palestinians?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/opinion/02friedman.html

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/world/middleeast/17mubarak.html?_r=1&src=twr

Exactly my point. Did Mubarak mention that Israel has done - offered exactly what he is asking for at least three times in the past and got rejected?. Funny that Mubarak makes it feel like a brilliant, solve-all great new idea to breach the deadlock, and the burden been on Israel. Bullshit!.

And when is Mubarak making some overtures himself to open up his repressive regime before the Islamist wave swipes his whole country?. And when is Obama going to become a little more demanding on these disgusting dictators, and at least as vocally assertive with them as he gets with the Israelis?.