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Encyclopedia > Thomas L. Friedman

Thomas L. Friedman (born July 20, 1953) is an American journalist, columnist, and author, currently working as an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times. His columns, concentrating mainly on foreign affairs, appear in the Op ed page on Wednesdays and Fridays. Friedman is known for advocating a compromise peace between Israel and the Palestinians, modernization of the Arab world, and globalization and laissez-faire capitalism, while sometimes remarking on their potential pitfalls. His books address various aspects of international politics. Image File history File links from [1] This work is copyrighted. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people. ... A columnist is a journalist who produces a specific form of writing for publication called a column. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and the Internet. ... The word author has several meanings: The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). ... An Op-Ed is a piece of writing expressing an opinion. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Foreign Affairs is the foremost American journal of international relations. ... An Op-Ed is a piece of writing expressing an opinion. ... The Palestinians are a mainly Arabic-speaking people with family origins in Palestine. ... The Arab world The Arab world comprises twenty-three countries stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east. ... Globalization (or globalisation) is a term used to describe the changes in societies and the world economy that are the result of dramatically increased international trade and cultural exchange. ... Laissez-faire capitalism is, roughly stated, the doctrine that the free market functions to the greatest good when left unfettered and unregulated by government. ...

Contents


Early life

Friedman was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he lived until he went to college at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. As a child, he attended a Jewish summer camp where a young Abe Foxman was a counselor. In high school, Friedman wrote for his school's paper The Echo, including one article in which he interviewed then Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. After college, Friedman attended Oxford University on a Marshall Scholarship, receiving an MA in Middle Eastern studies. Friedman lists Professor Albert Hourani among his important academic influences. St. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... Brandeis University is a small, private university in Waltham, Massachusetts. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Summer camp, principally a North American phenomenon, is a common destination for children and teenagers during the summer months. ... Abraham H. Foxman (b. ... Ariel Sharon, the eleventh Prime Minister of Israel, spent many years in the Israel Defense Forces before being elected in March 2001. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The offical logo of the Marshall Scholarship is a blended image of the US and UK flags. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Albert Habib Hourani (March 31, 1915 – January 17, 1993) was a prominent scholar of Middle Eastern history through much of the 20th century. ...


Journalism in the Middle East

He then joined the London bureau of United Press International, staying there for a year before being dispatched to Beirut, where he stayed from 1979 to 1981. He was then hired by the New York Times, which re-dispatched him to Beirut in 1982, where he soon witnessed the first phase of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Friedman's coverage of the war, and in particular the Sabra and Shatila massacre, won him the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. St. ... United Press International (UPI) is a global news agency headquartered in the United States filing news in English, Spanish and Arabic. ... Central Beirut (2004) Beirut (Arabic: , transliterated Bayrūt - the French name, Beyrouth, was also commonly used in English in the past) is the capital, largest city and chief seaport of Lebanon. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1982 Invasion of Lebanon, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee, began June 6, 1982, when the Israel Defence Force invaded southern Lebanon in response to the Abu Nidal organizations assassination attempt against Israels ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov. ... 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre Conflict Lebanese Civil War Date 16 September 1982 Place Sabra and Shatila Refugee Camp Result Large civilian casualties Template:Campaignbox War of the Camps The Sabra and Shatila massacre (or Sabra and Chatila massacre) was carried out in September 1982 by Lebanese Maronite Christian militias... The Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting has been awarded since 1948 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. ...


He was assigned to Jerusalem from 1984 to 1988, where he won another Pulitzer for his coverage of the first Palestinian Intifada, following this posting with a book, From Beirut to Jerusalem, describing his experiences in the Middle East. Jerusalem (31°46′ N 35°14′ E; Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... From Beirut to Jerusalem is a book written by Thomas L. Friedman chronicling his days as a reporter in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War and his journey in 1984 from Beirut to Jerusalem to cover unfolding events. ...


Return to the United States, New York Times column

During the administration of George H.W. Bush, he covered Secretary of State James Baker; following the election of Bill Clinton, he became the Times' White House correspondent. After covering the White House until 1994, he covered the intersection of foreign policy and economics. He then moved to the op-ed page of the Times as a foreign affairs columnist in 1995. Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born June... The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. ... James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930), American politician and diplomat, was Chief of Staff in the President Ronald Reagans first administration, and Secretary of State in the administration of President George H. W. Bush and as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1985 to... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Al Gore Term of office: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic William Jefferson Clinton (born... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... For the American magazine, see Foreign Policy. ... Economics (from the Greek οίκος [oikos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules, hence household management) is the social science that studies the production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services in the context of the competing alternative allocations of goods and courses of action. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


As a columnist, Friedman initially focused on his previous beat, looking at the intersection of global politics and finance. This look at globalization was summarized in his 1999 book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree. The two objects in the title symbolized the interaction between globalization and local tradition: the Lexus represented a desire for material wealth and a higher standard of living, while the Olive Tree represented a desire for heritage, community, and uniqueness in a global world. The book also discussed the role of new technology in reshaping global politics, especially the rise of the Internet and telecommunications. Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organizations raise, allocate and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Technology (Gr. ... Telecommunication is the extension of communication over a distance. ...


Friedman on globalization

Friedman's main thesis is that individual nations must sacrifice a degree of economic sovereignty to global institutions (such as capital markets, multinational corporations, and NGOs like the International Monetary Fund), in order to achieve Western-style economic prosperity. Friedman termed these restrictions the "Golden Straitjacket". This stance drew criticism from groups that oppose these global institutions, especially those on the political left that charge that globalization actually restricts prosperity in developing countries. In particular, Friedman was criticised for presenting the views and experiences only of elite members of developing societies such as political and business leaders. He was also criticised for advocating the use of military force to further America's economic interests. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition...


Friedman after 9/11

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Friedman's writing focused more on the threat of terrorism, for which he won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary ("for his clarity of vision, based on extensive reporting, in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat"). He supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, although he has since expressed alarm over the conduct of the war by the George W. Bush administration. Nevertheless, his recent columns have remained at least open to the possiblity of a positive outcome to the Iraq conflict. The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ... The term terrorism is controversial and has many definitions, none of which are universally accepted. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary has been awarded since 1970. ... The 2003 invasion of Iraq was launched by the United States and the United Kingdom on March 20, 2003, with support from some other governments, making up what was described as the coalition of the willing. ... Order: 43rd President of United States Vice President: Dick Cheney Term of office: January 20, 2001 – Present (His second term will end on January 20, 2009. ...


After the 7 July 2005 London bombings, Friedman called for the U.S. State Department to begin producing a "War of Ideas Report" that would spotlight religious leaders and writers advocating violence as well as anyone who suggests that "imperialism, Zionism, colonialism or Iraq" explains why the terrorists acted. "These excuse makers are just one notch less despicable than the terrorists and also deserve to be exposed." he said in his 22 July column. Critics at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting point to this as part of a wider trend to marginalise and censorship of critics of U.S. foreign policy.[1] On Thursday 7 July 2005 a series of four bomb attacks struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... For other meanings, please see Zionism (disambiguation) Zionism is a political movement among Jews, although supported by some non-Jews and not supported by some Jews, which maintains that the Jewish people constitute a nation and are entitled to a national homeland in Palestine, the location of the ancient Kingdom... July 22 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), founded in 1986, is a liberal group that works against and documents bias in the media and erroneous reporting. ...


Partial bibliography

The World is Flat (2005) is a book written by Thomas L. Friedman that provides (his words) a brief history of the twenty-first century. ... The Lexus and the Olive Tree is a 1999 book by Thomas L. Friedman that examines the widening differences between the industrialized and fundamentalist worldviews. ... From Beirut to Jerusalem is a book written by Thomas L. Friedman chronicling his days as a reporter in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War and his journey in 1984 from Beirut to Jerusalem to cover unfolding events. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about:
Thomas L. Friedman

  Results from FactBites:
 
Columnist Biography: Thomas L. Friedman - New York Times (284 words)
Friedman was transferred from Beirut to Jerusalem, where he served as Israel bureau chief until 1988.
Friedman was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting (from Lebanon) and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting (from Israel).
Friedman's latest book, "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century," was released in April 2005 and won the inaugural Goldman Sachs/Financial Times Business Book of the Year award.
Thomas Friedman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2608 words)
Thomas Loren Friedman, OBE (born July 20, 1953), is an American journalist, author and a three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Friedman is known for supporting a compromise resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, modernization of the Arab world, environmentalism and globalization.
Friedman supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing that the establishment of a democratic state in the Middle East would force other countries in the region to liberalize and modernize.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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