Why Thomas Friedman issued a 'code red' warning to America

[spanone]

Thomas Friedman doesn't scare easily.

The New York Times op-ed columnist is best known for his sober columns about foreign policy and technology.

That's why his Monday column stood out. "Our democracy is in serious danger," he wrote in the opening line. "President Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both, but either way he has shown himself unwilling or unable to defend America against a Russian campaign to divide and undermine our democracy."

There was something about his last paragraph, in particular, that struck a chord. "This is code red," he wrote. "The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office."

Friedman's column lit up on social media when it was posted on NYTimes.com on Sunday night. Thirty six hours later, it is still No. 1 on the site's "most emailed articles" list. It is also No. 1 on the site's "most shared articles on Facebook" list. There have been more than 2,700 comments so far.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/20/media/thomas-friedman-new-york-times-column/index.html

[edhopper]

1. Th control of all parts of the Government

is with the GOP. Nothing will be done.
We can only hope we last until something can be done.

[FreepFryer]

2. Hope you brought a lawn chair, to sit in and grouse while the rest of us rescue the country. (n/t)

[Cha]

39. ".. a lawn chair.." Right.. we need all

Can Do Attitude We Can Get!

[edhopper]

47. You misunderstand

or rather I worded poorly. Nothing will be done while the GOP controls everything. Something will only happen after the Dems can take back the Government.
I was saying I hope the country last the next few years until something can be done.

[FreepFryer]

50. I dont misunderstand. I disagree. Much - but not yet enough - is being done. Reject Fatalism. (n/t)

[edhopper]

55. Then we do disagree

I think it foolish to expect anyone in the GOP to go after Trump.
It will take a Dem Congress, and hopefully a new Dem President in 2020.

[Hortensis]

46. 200,000,000 registered voters, edhopper, maybe 16,000

centimillionaires and billionaires. That's 14,000 of us to each 1 of them.

COUNTDOWN TO MOPPING THE FLOOR WITH THEIR CONGRESSIONAL STOOGES: 257 days.

On that day, we will provide far better data for the 2020 census and a Democratic-controlled congress will take over until 2020. Step by massive step.

[edhopper]

48. Read my post #47

[Hortensis]

56. Oh, the country will last. What's dismantled can be rebuilt,

and better for some major shaking up. A big part of what's happening is attempts to institutionalize corruption, restructure our government to serve a few. The worst damage will be done to our ethical norms. But whatever we inherit, we will live with while we fix it and move ahead. Right now many are busily fighting to limit damage to institutions and injury to people.

Part of facing this bravely is not flapping our hands but understanding that we do have power too. You wouldn't be posting this OP if you read the many things people are doing to combat this attempt at takeover.

The huge thing, of course, is that the law is on our side. It really would be all over if the law was on the side of the Vichy and Banana Republicans. But it's not. It's a major barrier to them, the more so as they fear prison. SCOTUS is a worry of course, as serious losses there would take much longer to fix, but most of the judiciary is on our side.

But many people in public and private institutions are on our side. Many foreign governments are on our side.

And we also have over 200 years of deeply engrained democratic traditions that are what America means to its people. They've been careless about it because it's so much us we never really thought we could lose it. But we had a majority of the electorate even before the 2016 wakeup call. We lost in in 2016 only because of new types of machinations to keep people from voting for us, but our majority'll be larger this time. And chances are excellent Republican turnout will drop. Even if only a couple of percentages, that's also huge.

If you want to worry about something, you're welcome to share mine. That even if we sweep in 2018 and 2020 this won't be over. As long perhaps 16,000 people in our new ultrawealthy classes can buy whole legislative majorities without even missing the money, democracy is in serious trouble.

[FreepFryer]

61. +1. Getting Citizens United/Corp citizenship repealed is crucial to prevent more of the same. (n/t)

[Hortensis]

62. ASAP. CU is a SCOTUS decision, of course, and

experts seem to believe unlikely to be reversed in the foreseeable future, even with its horrible effects.

I've read that most of the current efforts at campaign finance are being focused on the state and local levels, changing state constitutions, trying to institute public financing of elections, requiring donor disclosure, etc. We're in the pre- catching fire stage on this, of course.

Often the big donors fail to control election results, though, and hopefully more people may be be understanding that there really is a class war being waged against them through Republicans in government and, as Warren Buffett pointed out, they're losing.

[Skittles]

3. he is a bit late to the fucking party, isn't he?

we've been saying this for a LONG TIME now

[dalton99a]

6. +1

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. bedazzled

I think some of the MSM were still waiting for a pivot right up until Mueller's pile of indictments shocked them awake.

[scarletwoman]

16. What! You mean the Mustache of Understanding didn't notice until now?!?!

Quelle horreur!

[Gabi Hayes]

34. The prayer wheel!

Did you bring it back, or has it always been there? Or , you been gone? Lots and lots are not around, sadly. DU has gone from spot number 1or 2 on google to PAGE five or six

I used to have that wheel for awhile....you gave me the idea

Serenity now!

[Gabi Hayes]

35. Remember?

[scarletwoman]

65. Hi Gabi! The Prayer Wheel has always been there.

Yes, there aren't many of us old-timers left on DU. I first registered in late summer of 2001 - which was the year DU came into being. I can only think of maybe two or three DUers still around from that time. Quite a few of them have died over the years - it's painful to think about how many have passed. And so many others who just faded away over the years, or were booted off DU for petty (to my mind) transgressions.

What especially saddens me are the old friends I lost during the 2016 presidential campaign. Oh well.

I feel like something of a dinosaur now, with almost 17 years of memory of this place. I grew old hanging out on DU. I was just 51 when DU started, I'm 68 now - it kind of freaks me out!

And over all these years I've logged in nearly every single day. I stopped posting regularly several years ago, but I've never stopped coming here to read. I can't imagine daily life without my DU fix.

Even though I post very rarely (although I've been posting a bit more lately), the Prayer Wheel has never been gone.

[bigtree]

49. 'the Mustache of Understanding'

[scarletwoman]

64. Do you remember the "Get Your War On" comics from during the bush* maladministration?

That's where it came from:

[bdamomma]

21. We've been saying it.

but our freaking Congress is saying shit, just covering up this POS fake pResident.

[Pobeka]

31. I'll accept anyone, anytime who comes back to reality.

We desperately need them all -- every single voice demanding change, every single vote.

[Sophia4]

4. What to do about Fox News?

I don't understand how they can ignore the evidence that so strongly compels the conclusion that the Russians meddled in our election and may even (we will probably never know) have decided it by convincing naive Americans with their propaganda that Trump would be a good president. And now, Fox News does everything they can to pretend that Trump and his crew are doing a decent job in government.

I strongly believe in the First Amendment right to free speech, but what to do?

[mopinko]

7. maybe a few folks will go to jail.

you never know where the money trail will lead.

[ChazInAz]

9. There is an historical precedent.

Whatever became of Tokyo Rose?
When this nightmare is over, we'll need to deal with Fox news the way we would with anyone propagating propaganda for an enemy of the country and supporting treason.

[Wednesdays]

43. As for Tokyo Rose, she got off lightly, considering.

She lived to the ripe old age of ninety, with full U.S. citizenship. She served only six years in jail.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iva_Toguri_D%27Aquino

[True Dough]

51. Happy Wednesday!

It seems to hold special significance to you!

[Lucky Luciano]

11. There should be a law that requires reasonable neutrality in order...

...to be considered news. They can have their free speech, but shouldn’t be able to call it news.

[Mr.Bill]

14. There was. It was called the Fairness Doctrine.

Reagan got rid of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

[orangecrush]

25. Yup

[GeoWilliam750]

22. Indeed

Why is Fox News in lock step with the Russians?

Is there any reason why Wendi Deng (Rupert Murdoch's ex wife), who introduced Jared and Ivanka vacations with and is very close to some of the oligarchs, and who is rumored to be sleeping with Putin (hard to actually believe). Ivanka was one of the trustees managing the money for Wendi's two daughters.

[dalton99a]

5. "The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office."

Great piece

[ProfessorPlum]

8. boy, nothing gets past that Tom Friedman

the US is in danger, you say? Such insight.

[JHB]

38. Sharp as a beach ball, that Friedman.

And just because he isn't a shouty drunk does not make him "sober".

[malaise]

10. He's coming up on Lawrence

after the break

[BigmanPigman]

13. I just saw him...very good!

[malaise]

23. Agree

[hibbing]

15. For any youngsters out there, google: friedman unit

[scarletwoman]

18. Also - google "The Mustache of Understanding"

Especially in regard to the "Get Your War On" cartoons.

[wellst0nev0ter]

19. Or "Suck On This"

Fuck him. He was, and still is, part of the problem.

[Blecht]

33. Never forgive this

[Crunchy Frog]

36. Still hate that f*cker. Thanks for the refresher.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

52. Who does he mean when says "WE should go over there...," did he take part in combat operations???

Another millionaire chickenshit hawk and blather who married money and does not have a clue about the problems of real working class people. He's a fucking elitist who has been anointed as an expert by the M$M, what the fuck is a code red, the Urban Dictionary for one definition:

TOP DEFINITION
Code Red
A rule, code, convention or practice that is unwritten so it is plausibly deniable by those who order, use and/or enforce it. It is unwritten because it is illegal, unethical, amoral, unconstitutional, and/or violates social conventions, sworn oaths, the Rule of Law, Natural Law and/or the democratic Process

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Code%20Red

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

24. Holy shit! As someone who mocked him, along with his Mighty Mustache of

Justice, endlessly. I'd never heard of FUs. How could I have missed that?

[Gabi Hayes]

32. Taibbi, IIRC

He’s done some hilarious eviscerations of the fatuosity Of much of Friedman’s work

[erlewyne]

17. What is the Republican party doing.

That is a question Friedman implied.

Q. Well, what does the G.O.P. ever do?

A. Collect donations from their constituents.

Russians are red and so is the G.O.P.

[bdamomma]

20. Thomas Friedman

is correct the biggest threat is in the oval office.....I won't say anymore.

[SCantiGOP]

26. Read the article

Very well reasoned and will scare the hell out of you.

[spanone]

27. yes it will.

👍🏼

[Gabi Hayes]

28. Just heard him on LOD

Can’t stand the master of the obvious, but what he said really nailed it WRT what a REAL leader would do

If only Obama would axe for some airtime and say what Friedman said T should say, he’d be a real hero, and, perhaps, make up for his failure to bite the bullet and speak up when it would’ve been very difficult, if not impossible, to do on 16

But that’s what real heroes do

Gotta give TF the credit for casting this crisis in starker relief than any other major pundit has

Hoping others will follow suit

Follows the children!

[Quixote1818]

29. This is why I think Mueller will indict Trump. To send a message as to how serious this is. nt

[moondust]

30. "Thomas Friedman, Iraq war booster"

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2013/0318/Thomas-Friedman-Iraq-war-booster

[Wednesdays]

44. Would you rather he be cheerleading the other side?

[moondust]

54. I'd rather

hear any such "code red" from someone who has a history of consistently good judgment and thus more credibility.

[OnDoutside]

37. Did he mention the word "Republican" at all ?

[Cha]

40. Yeah, Thomas Freidman.. but he still got

a lot of people talking about the reality of this.. if the M$M isn't getting through to them.

Mahalo spanone

[spanone]

41. Mahalo Cha!

[colsohlibgal]

42. Better Late Than Never

Whatever inane stances are in his past this is code red, all hands on deck.

This idiot chief executive beyond being a jerk has survived actions, lies, etc that in normal times would have had serious serious consequences.

We have entered Bizarro World let’s hope we can move past this and survive.

[The Polack MSgt]

45. About 3 Friedman Units too late

But a huge fraction of his peers in the babbling horde still don't get it...

So, yay?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

53. Nice

but he's 2.5 "Friedman Units" late.

[madinmaryland]

57. The "Moustache of Understanding" gets it.

[cab67]

58. people still pay attention to Thomas Friedman?

Who knew?

[PatrickforO]

59. I like the posts on this thread.

This resist movement has been as effective as it can be under the circumstances, and now we have high school kids from all over the country rising up and saying 'no more!'

We've flipped a number of seats in state legislatures, many of them in heavily red districts.

It has been interesting to watch public opinion changing about some of these issues we've been talking about for years:
- health care
- Social Security expansion (as opposed to a series of un-COLAs)
- Reasonable gun controls
- Affordable college tuition

There is hope. Yes, big money is lined up against us, but as someone else said, for every one of them, there are 14,000 or more of us.

And we have awakened.

Took a bunch, but we have awakened.

My wife and I will proudly join the march in March. Well...she will. If my legs are up to it, I will too.

Because you know what? OUR CHILDREN'S AND GRANDCHILDREN'S BLOOD WILL NOT BE THE PRICE OF 'FREEDOM!'

It won't. Not anymore.

[nocalflea]

60. Trump's presdency was meant to divide and conquer us.

Instead it created the COP. The Country Over Party party aka Never- Trumpers that's finding common ground with dems and independents.

Not only are the COP voting dem, they're happily offering advice on how to defeat the going, going, gone GOP.

[Orsino]

63. Friedman should be telling us to wait six months and see...

...like he did with the wars that killed, maimed, bereaved and displaced millions.