Comments on: How to respond to a Tom Friedman appearance http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/ All Things Eph Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:04:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Henry Bass '57 http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25255 Henry Bass '57 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:26:30 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25255 When I was chair of the Lecture Committee during the Eisenhower Administration we had James Reston of the New York Times to lecture. Reston is maybe the Times' most well known columnist in its entire history. What a bore he was. I have not forgotten my disappointment more than 50 years later. Reston presented his theory on the decline of American politics. It was all because college had gotten too hard. When his own son came home for vacation he would ask him about current affairs. His son barely knew that Ike was president. His son would explain that they worked him so hard he didn't have time to read the NEW YORK TIMES. Reston was sure that Williams (even the Williams of the 50's) must be as hard as Chapel Hill so that we didn't have time to read the TIMES either. Reston's solution was to get our teachers make college easier so the kids would have the time to read his columns. Practically no on at the question period in Baxter Hall had the slightest trouble finding the time to read the TIMES. So we greeted his remarks with scorn. We were much too polite in the Eisenhower era to throw a pie at him. The best minds of that generation did not go into journalism. Times haven't changed. I'm not sure what we can do. We might make a start by shutting down journalism schools. Columbia Journalism School reports that it best students want to go into TV sports. When I was chair of the Lecture Committee during the Eisenhower Administration we had James Reston of the New York Times to lecture. Reston is maybe the Times’ most well known columnist in its entire history. What a bore he was. I have not forgotten my disappointment more than 50 years later.

Reston presented his theory on the decline of American politics. It was all because college had gotten too hard. When his own son came home for vacation he would ask him about current affairs. His son barely knew that Ike was president. His son would explain that they worked him so hard he didn’t have time to read the NEW YORK TIMES. Reston was sure that Williams (even the Williams of the 50’s) must be as hard as Chapel Hill so that we didn’t have time to read the TIMES either. Reston’s solution was to get our teachers make college easier so the kids would have the time to read his columns.

Practically no on at the question period in Baxter Hall had the slightest trouble finding the time to read the TIMES. So we greeted his remarks with scorn. We were much too polite in the Eisenhower era to throw a pie at him.

The best minds of that generation did not go into journalism. Times haven’t changed. I’m not sure what we can do. We might make a start by shutting down journalism schools. Columbia Journalism School reports that it best students want to go into TV sports.

]]> By: Ronit http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25145 Ronit Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:35:38 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25145 I agree on Peggy Noonan. I agree on Peggy Noonan.

]]> By: Aidan http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25086 Aidan Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:22:56 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25086 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/opinion/30friedman.html" rel="nofollow">This is an especially egregious</a> example of Thomas Friedman's perfidy. In this example, Mr. Friedman quotes at length from "The Onion" before making several completely nonsensical comments. The fact that the Grey Lady (RIP) permits its highly paid columnists to essentially regurgitate <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/opinion/02friedman.html" rel="nofollow">humor columns</a> over its OpEd page is especially embarrassing. You could ask, rhetorically, "does Tom Friedman have any shame?" but the answer is very obviously, "absolutely not." No, Tom Friedman can't be bothered to generate 500 words of original thought, which is a decline from his earlier career when he would at least mangle and combine cliches in an unprecedented (if not original) fashion. On another note, Peggy Noonan is the finest opinion writer operating today. But inside the blue bubble too few read the Wall Street Journal. This is an especially egregious example of Thomas Friedman’s perfidy. In this example, Mr. Friedman quotes at length from “The Onion” before making several completely nonsensical comments. The fact that the Grey Lady (RIP) permits its highly paid columnists to essentially regurgitate humor columns over its OpEd page is especially embarrassing. You could ask, rhetorically, “does Tom Friedman have any shame?” but the answer is very obviously, “absolutely not.” No, Tom Friedman can’t be bothered to generate 500 words of original thought, which is a decline from his earlier career when he would at least mangle and combine cliches in an unprecedented (if not original) fashion.

On another note, Peggy Noonan is the finest opinion writer operating today. But inside the blue bubble too few read the Wall Street Journal.

]]> By: Derek http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25081 Derek Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:05:06 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25081 You know, I don't want to be the contrarian, but while Friedman's work of late has been pretty blah, "From Beirut to Jerusalem" is still a fantastic book. In fact, when I hear someone ardently weigh in on the Israel/Palestine question, and if I think they are full of crap, I like to ask what, specifically, they think about what he has to say in that book. If they have not read it, odds are they are full of it about both friedman and the Middle East, which is a nifty little BS daily double. dcat You know, I don’t want to be the contrarian, but while Friedman’s work of late has been pretty blah, “From Beirut to Jerusalem” is still a fantastic book. In fact, when I hear someone ardently weigh in on the Israel/Palestine question, and if I think they are full of crap, I like to ask what, specifically, they think about what he has to say in that book. If they have not read it, odds are they are full of it about both friedman and the Middle East, which is a nifty little BS daily double.

dcat

]]> By: JG http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25060 JG Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:19:58 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25060 Transcript of the address <a href="http://www.humanity.org/voices/commencements/speeches/index.php?page=friedman_at_williams" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Once more - all hail the power of Google. To be honest, his commencement address was more palatable to me than his columns usually are. Of course that might be because one expects overly long-winded unsolicited advice at such occasions. I would encourage folks to check out <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/10/opinion/10friedman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin" rel="nofollow">this column</a> he wrote just after graduation. It made Williams look great. It is all about the awards that are given to high school teachers nominated by outgoing Williams seniors. That has always been one of my favorite parts of graduation, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it in the <i>Times</i>. <blockquote>Imagine if every college in America had a program like Williams's, and every spring, across the land, thousands of great teachers were acknowledged by the students they inspired? "No Great Teachers Left Behind." How about it?</blockquote> Transcript of the address here. Once more – all hail the power of Google.

To be honest, his commencement address was more palatable to me than his columns usually are. Of course that might be because one expects overly long-winded unsolicited advice at such occasions.

I would encourage folks to check out this column he wrote just after graduation. It made Williams look great. It is all about the awards that are given to high school teachers nominated by outgoing Williams seniors. That has always been one of my favorite parts of graduation, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it in the Times.

Imagine if every college in America had a program like Williams’s, and every spring, across the land, thousands of great teachers were acknowledged by the students they inspired? “No Great Teachers Left Behind.” How about it?

]]> By: hwc http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25054 hwc Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:12:17 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25054 Here's a philosophical queston: If Tom Friedman deserves a pie in the face for his war cheerleading, what does Judith Miller deserve? An IED? Here’s a philosophical queston: If Tom Friedman deserves a pie in the face for his war cheerleading, what does Judith Miller deserve? An IED?

]]> By: hwc http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25052 hwc Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:59:40 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25052 The hosts at Brown should have told Mr. Friedman to just wait one more "Friedman Unit" for a towel to clean up. BTW, did anyone else note the precision? Exactly one Friedman Unit after Patraeus announced future troop drawdowns last fall, he announced that it would no longer be possible to draw down from Iraq and that we need to wait yet another Friedman Unit and then we'll surely be able to start drawing down. The hosts at Brown should have told Mr. Friedman to just wait one more “Friedman Unit” for a towel to clean up.

BTW, did anyone else note the precision? Exactly one Friedman Unit after Patraeus announced future troop drawdowns last fall, he announced that it would no longer be possible to draw down from Iraq and that we need to wait yet another Friedman Unit and then we’ll surely be able to start drawing down.

]]> By: Neil http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25050 Neil Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:42:28 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25050 With the pie in the face, they meant to turn Friedman into a prop. It's disrespectful. It's their chosen expression and it's an assault. As others have pointed out, they asserted no alternative viewpoint so it was rude and inarticulate. I pains me to no end that war cheerleaders like Friedman, pay no professional price for being so wrong but I prefer <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/23/04046/3938/224/501151" rel="nofollow">Elsinora's approach</a> (Knox College) with former AG John Ashcroft. Keep the posts coming: Everything is related to Williams. With the pie in the face, they meant to turn Friedman into a prop. It’s disrespectful. It’s their chosen expression and it’s an assault. As others have pointed out, they asserted no alternative viewpoint so it was rude and inarticulate.

I pains me to no end that war cheerleaders like Friedman, pay no professional price for being so wrong but I prefer Elsinora’s approach (Knox College) with former AG John Ashcroft.

Keep the posts coming: Everything is related to Williams.

]]> By: Ronit http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25048 Ronit Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:25:19 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25048 Just like his columns! Just like his columns!

]]> By: frank uible http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25038 frank uible Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:51:14 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25038 Add puerile. Add puerile.

]]> By: ronit http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25018 ronit Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:15:52 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25018 Self-righteous, immature, dumb? Perhaps. But in our increasingly interconnected, flat, "Web 2.0" world, isn't it possible that some poor African farmers accessing YouTube on their hand-cranked $100 laptop might be a little happier because they can now see Tom Friedman covered in lime jello? Or think of the hardworking call-center operator in Bangalore, whose dreary nocturnal shift has been brightened up because they can now watch this video at work. Maybe our common ability to laugh at Tom Friedman getting pied-in-the-face could even bring peace to those Middle-Easterners fighting over that olive tree. This kind of cultural transcendence is reason enough to celebrate Globalization 3.0, or whatever version we're up to now. Self-righteous, immature, dumb? Perhaps. But in our increasingly interconnected, flat, “Web 2.0″ world, isn’t it possible that some poor African farmers accessing YouTube on their hand-cranked $100 laptop might be a little happier because they can now see Tom Friedman covered in lime jello? Or think of the hardworking call-center operator in Bangalore, whose dreary nocturnal shift has been brightened up because they can now watch this video at work. Maybe our common ability to laugh at Tom Friedman getting pied-in-the-face could even bring peace to those Middle-Easterners fighting over that olive tree.

This kind of cultural transcendence is reason enough to celebrate Globalization 3.0, or whatever version we’re up to now.

]]> By: Will Slack '11 http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25015 Will Slack '11 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:47:40 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25015 If if the pie was somehow justified, which I don't believe, it completely failed in terms of accomplishing anything besides making them feel proud they snuck a pie into a lecture. That was just dumb. If if the pie was somehow justified, which I don’t believe, it completely failed in terms of accomplishing anything besides making them feel proud they snuck a pie into a lecture. That was just dumb.

]]> By: a junior http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25006 a junior Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:14:00 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25006 Say what you want about Thomas Friedman, but those students are pretty ridiculous. Look at "the reasons he deserved a pie in his face" and you'll see that this group is accomplishing nothing. If they had pied him, and then threw leaflets in the crowd with specific solutions for the problems they see, that would be fine. But instead they're just being self-righteous, immature idiots. Say what you want about Thomas Friedman, but those students are pretty ridiculous. Look at “the reasons he deserved a pie in his face” and you’ll see that this group is accomplishing nothing. If they had pied him, and then threw leaflets in the crowd with specific solutions for the problems they see, that would be fine.

But instead they’re just being self-righteous, immature idiots.

]]> By: dkane http://www.ephblog.com/2008/04/24/how-to-respond-to-a-tom-friedman-apperance/#comment-25001 dkane Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:48:46 +0000 http://www.ephblog.com/?p=8479#comment-25001 Friedman is an Eph, both as an honorary degree recipient and as a parent, so anything and everything associated with him is fair game. Feel free to add the video in to the post. Friedman is an Eph, both as an honorary degree recipient and as a parent, so anything and everything associated with him is fair game. Feel free to add the video in to the post.

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