■"Brave, Young and Muslim," op-ed by Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, 3 March 2005, pulled off web.
■"A Force for Good," op-ed by Robert D. Kaplan, New York Times, 3 March 2005, pulled off web.
Friedman, ditching his neo-green nonsense for the day, is back to his usual optimism, even if he won't give the Bush administration any credit for what's going on in the Middle East (Does anyone believe this all happens absent our invasion of Iraq? Ask yourself!). It is very good to see:
The last couple of years have not been easy for anyone, myself included, who hoped that the Iraq war would produce a decent, democratizing outcome. And even in the wake of the remarkable Iraqi election, the toppling of the Lebanese cabinet and the reforms brewing in Egypt, it is too soon for anyone to declare victory. We're dealing with some very unstable chemicals. But what makes me more hopeful today is precisely what made me hopeful that the Iraq war might work out, and that is the number of Arab-Muslim youth I've encountered since 9/11 who have urged me to keep writing about the need for democracy and reform in their part of the world.
Of course, many Americans are surprised by this.
Hah! No one's more surprised than Friedman himself! I mean, it's good to have a short memory if you're either an NFL quarterback or cornerback, but it's more reasonable to expect some self-awareness from an op-ed columnist of Friedman's towering stature. Notice how he never mentions the Iraq invasion, the neocons, or the Bush administration in this piece, instead giving a stirring description of this great book written by a Muslim woman calling for a reformation process within this globalized religion. Fair enough, but come on man! Give the administration its due and eat some crow.
Is it too early to declare any victory? Of course it is. But again, does any of this happen in a Middle East without our military interventions, when oil prices rise naturally thanks to a long-term confluence of diminished investment in infrastructure and exploration and production with a rising demand curve in developing Asia (the real cause of the long-term price rise)?
Kaplan's also turning a new leaf, or perhaps just beginning his PR campaign for his new book called Imperial Grunts. Instead of harping on how unprepared the U.S. military is for the Global War on Terrorism, now he's recognizing the rapid pace of change. His example here is the Asian tsunamis response (a weak one, but okay), not exactly my definition of "imperial." But it's awfully nice to see some optimism from the man who's so in love with the U.S. military (you think I love them!). It means these changes are becoming apparent to journalists in the field with the pointy end of the spear. It says that Rumsfeld's moves over the past two years are starting to penetrate the furthest reaches of our operational forces.
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