Thomas Friedman: Master Manipulator of Metaphors

Maybe I should copyright "Master Manipulator of Metaphors" :-)
Gregg Easterbrook starts his review of Friedman's latest multi-million dollar generator, er, book, with:

Buzz. BUZZZZZZZZZ. There are so many buzz phrases in Thomas Friedman's new book that it practically vibrates in your hand. Code Green. Day-trading for electrons. Green is the new red, white, and blue. Subprime planet. Petrodictatotrships. The Common Era, Friedman tells us, should be supplanted by the Energy Climate Era; the year is 1ECE.

So, Easterbrook was expecting something other than buzz phrases? As always, Easterbrook does a wonderful job. I liked his jab: "The cynical view is that his embrace of max-PC alarums about global warming is Friedman's bid to make everyone forget he pounded the table in favor of an American invasion of Iraq." Good point, man!

And then Easterbrook writes,

He presents many examples of higher world resource demand, noting that even if
America cuts back, reductions here will be swamped by increases elsewhere: "The
biggest downside [of globalization] is that in raising standards of living,
globalization is making possible much higher levels of production and
consumption by many more people." Yet if resource trends and climate change are
driven by rising population and rising affluence, which of these, precisely, do
you propose to ban?

More troubles for Friedman:

his factual assertions are impossible to weigh, since Hot, Flat, and Crowded
contains no footnotes or source notes. Friedman asserts, for instance: "In fact,
the American pet food industry spends more each year on R&D than the
American utilities industry does." Good luck figuring out the "in fact" part.

And then:

Friedman's book-talk schedule for the first month alone of Hot, Flat, and Crowded promotion requires jet aircraft trips that, the calculator at Terra Pass estimates, will generate about 3 tons of carbon dioxide—the same as driving a Hummer for almost half a year. Friedman counsels, "[P]ersonally lead as environmentally sustainable a life as you can" but himself lives in a 11,400-square-foot mansion, whose carbon footprint may be visible from orbit. Rather than address this straight on, he squirms to paint his lifestyle green ... Friedman can't bring himself to admit he is lord of a manor and racing through more resources in his daily life than 10,000 rural Africans.

I do agree with Easterbrook on this point:

First, the author. Few who reach the top of any occupation have remained so hard-working, intellectually curious, and professionally conscientious. Despite considerable personal means, Friedman is in constant transcontinental motion, including to not-glamorous parts of the world, and constantly exposes himself to criticism by speaking at colleges.

BTW, before you jump into any conclusion that I am a global warming denier: no, I am not.
Also, youcan save yourself the few dollars by not buying Friedman's book. Instead, you can read a much better version of Friedman's argument, which was a neat, short, and to-the-point essay in Foreign Policy. Easterbrook also refers to this essay. I have used it in my classes too. It is in such essays that Friedman shines. And I like his metaphor of "First Law of Petropolitics."