Friedman would miss the point in a point factory

I have really been making an effort not to get too riled by Tom Friedman, to try to listen to him, to see why he has a job at the New York Times when reporters all over the world cannot find gainful employment. I can no longer see any reason.

His most recent piece (which does not allow comments on the nytimes website) is at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/opinion/29friedman.html. Here Friedman claims there is a "Narrative" at work against America. Worse it has worked to convince even American born and raised Muslims like Nidal Malik Hasan to join jihad.

This is crazy. This piece is criminal. Friedman completely discounts legitimate grievances the Muslim world has with America then spreads fear about Muslims abroad and at home. The same type of racism Daniel Pipes has tried to forward in America and groups like the Stop Islamification of Europe have pushed on the other side of the Atlantic.

Friedman says that for the last 20 years America has been dedicated to the plight of Muslims. Really? Really! Really? His examples, the Iraq war um okay, you have really got me on that one, how exactly have any of America's policies helped muslims in Iraq. Another example Darfur. What exactly did America do in Darfur? Another example Lebanon. I guess when America supplied weapons for Israel to blow up apartment buildings in 2006 that helped Muslims. Next example, Kurdistan. Oh so when America sold Saddam Hussein chemical weapons to kill Kurds in Northern Iraq that was helpful. Next example, Kuwait. I presume his means Desert Storm when he says Kuwait. I think he is being a little naive if he thinks America liberated the Kuwaiti people first and the oilfields second.

Friedman challenges Muslims in the end of his article to prove that Islam is more than suicide bombers and jihadists. Unbelievable. How does he get away with writing this stuff. I challenge Friedman to prove that Judaism is more than land grabs and repression of refugees. I feel guilty just writing that last sentence. Where's Friedman's conscience? Has he never truly met any Muslims. Don't tell me he is just trying to show a firm hand or tough love.

To be honest, it's not that he is racist that bugs me. That's understandable. What is the most irritating is he just doesn't get it, but, he still writes for the Times.