Thomas Friedman References Joe DiMaggio in the Headline, But Not in the Column
I'm afraid to say my opinion of Thomas Friedman's columns has been declining as late; usually I find him more condescending than enlightening. (I have read a hell of a lot of Thomas Friedman columns, so maybe I just know his material already. On the other hand, his Wednesday column on how to solve the North Korean and Iranian nuclear problems in one fell swoop was pretty bad.) Still, every so often Friedman can use his status as the only columnist on Earth who still likes reporting to come up with an underreported gem. Here's the conclusion of his column today:
America today reminds me of our last Olympic basketball team - that lackadaisical group that brought home the bronze medal. We think that all we need to do is show up and everyone else will fold - because, after all, we're just competing with ourselves.And we think we don't need to get focused and play together like a team, with Democrats and Republicans actually working together. Well, on the basketball court - and in a flat world, where everyone now has access to all the same coaching techniques, training methods and scouting reports - a more focused, motivated team always beats a collection of more talented but complacent individuals.
But that's just the theme, and a mediocre analogy. If you read the whole thing, and go through his examples, one by one, of the ways in which America is falling behind China, India, Russia, Eastern Europe and who knows what else, I suspect you'll end up as concerned as I am. Personally, it's no longer out of the question for me that America loses its superpower status sooner than later.
But anyway, I blame Tom DeLay. Who do you think's gonna win Idol?