"Let us not forget that Michael Liberally supported and supports precisely this Iraq war – to the unsuspecting reader, unfamiliar with his decade of columns – one would think he was a critic! A classic Thomas Friedman slight of hand as detailed in the book Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work.
He goes on, employing a classical Youngian device: express benign puzzlement over the Arabs seemingly counter intuitive dislike for something they really should love – and which Michael LOVES – despite all the long history of suffering, abuse, violence etc which the 99% of arabs outside the elite circles of punditry must deal with:
“…It’s puzzling how many people in the Arab world appear more amenable to the regional ascendancy of Muslim states such as Iran or Turkey than to that of Western countries [hmmm I wonder why.... silly Muslims!], above all the U.S. Puzzling not because consistency requires that they should embrace Western hegemony as well, but because it requires rejecting any form of hegemony whatsoever, whatever its origin. [Not necessarily Michael]" (thanks Nicholas)
He goes on, employing a classical Youngian device: express benign puzzlement over the Arabs seemingly counter intuitive dislike for something they really should love – and which Michael LOVES – despite all the long history of suffering, abuse, violence etc which the 99% of arabs outside the elite circles of punditry must deal with:
“…It’s puzzling how many people in the Arab world appear more amenable to the regional ascendancy of Muslim states such as Iran or Turkey than to that of Western countries [hmmm I wonder why.... silly Muslims!], above all the U.S. Puzzling not because consistency requires that they should embrace Western hegemony as well, but because it requires rejecting any form of hegemony whatsoever, whatever its origin. [Not necessarily Michael]" (thanks Nicholas)
