" The average worker in America earns $21 per hour. In China, the average man gets 61 cents for his hour's work. A great leveling has begun. We wait to see how far it will go and how long it will go on."No need to wait if you ask the right question. Per capita, are Europeans richer than Americans? Or, if in the 1950's one worker could support a family, working 40 hours per week, had health insurance for his family and a retirement account where he worked and now, in 2005, unemployment is up, minimum wage is down in real dollar value, health insurance is too expensive and, as Eliot Spritzer might posered, due to a preemptive strike by Corporations (like Enron) there is no company retirement and the next preemptive strike will be against Social Security.
" Some people will do anything to get into public office."
ad hominem
"Eliot Spritzer...putting people in jail...admitted why...bid for governor of New York."
Imagine that...white collars going to jail - not to worry - we have segregated white collar jail suites.
"We hope the rascal gets what he deserves."
Rule by Rascal, how unique, at least lest bloody, than a War President.
"Friedman... the world improver offers us a new purpose...a Great Cause as grandiose as it is imbecilic: Energy independence!"
Which cause is more grandiose? Blood for Oil or solar and wind for Energy Independence?
"Imagine if every American kid, in every school, were galvanized around such a vision [making America energy independent in 10 years]..." he writes. We shudder.
It's called learning Applied Science - no need to shudder.
World improvers are always looking for an excuse to boss and bully.
ad hominem
Mr. Friedman's particular contribution to the genre is a certain comic absurdity that leaves the reader gasping for air."
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"He must be an embarrassment to the newspaper... the middle-brow Jewish market,...or he's got photos of the publisher in a compromising position."
ad hominem
"Friedman: "Take away the oil revenue, says he, and "I will give you political reform from Moscow to Riyadh to Tehran."
"...Nor did North Korea become North Korea because of $45 oil."
North Korea became North Korea because the US drew a line in the sand of one Korea.
Or Iraq...or Afghanistan or Venezuela...or Zimbabwe.
US interference with all of the above governments.
Nor did oil revenues finance the Hitler youth...
That is a good question: who financed Hitler?
Yes, the oil industry did wonders for Saudi Arabia and the Bush family...but what conclusion can we draw from that?
Er...ah...follow, follow, follow the m-o-n-e-y?
"We don't know, but to hear Friedman tell it, energy independence is the ticket to Eden:..."
Eden, being geographically now called Iraq - one might tend to believe that is a Bushite's ticket.
"If Bush made energy independence his moon shot, he would dry up revenue for terrorism; force Iran, Russia, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to take the path of reform..."
But of course Bush has already told us he'd rather shoot for Mars - but wait - what would Bill Bonner suggest for energy independence?
"Let us all tie our shoelaces together and hop to work! Think of the energy we will save...and what a great world we will have."
If every adult with shoelaces tied them together only half of the world's adults would fall on their faces. The other half of the world does not have shoes.
Maybe we would have "a great world" after all.
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