New York Times' Foreign Affairs guru Tom Friedman writes in to point out an error in a recent feature by Radar staffer Jebediah Reed. In "The Iraq Gamble," Reed marveled at the fact that, considering his outsized role in selling Americans on a catastrophic war, Friedman not only still has a job, but is richer than ever.
E-maileth Friedman:
Thanks for your piece on Radar[Online]. You got all your facts right, but one. We don't have a second home in Aspen, or anywhere else. I will need to get more things wrong to achieve that status. I think you might be referring to my in-laws' home, where we stay when we visit them. You seem to be interested in facts, so I figured you would want to know. All best, Tom Friedman
Although he lists the above-mentioned mansion just north of the Aspen golf course as his residence in the local phone directory, despite previous experience, we'll have to trust him on this one. Mr. Friedman: Radar sincerely regrets inferring actual ownership where you say there is none. It's true: We are "interested in facts."
But while we're on the topic, should you really be abandoning your second-home dream just yet? Actual military strategists, like William S. Lind—who both cautioned against the Iraq fiasco and predicted its course—continue to argue that de-escalation is the only coherent strategy when facing an insurgency. You? You're still balls to the wall, boldly pushing for a "re-invasion" of Iraq. [sub. req.]
Quite honestly, we'd be shocked if you weren't sizing drapes by late February.
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• The Iraq Gamble: Getting Rich By Getting it Wrong