Thomas Friedman, "How We’ve Wasted Our Timeout": The Eve of Destruction

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "How We’ve Wasted Our Timeout" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/opinion/sunday/friedman-weve-wasted-our-timeout.html), Thomas Friedman warns of an imminent Armageddon:

"But now, everywhere you turn, you see different actors standing with their toes on red lines, seemingly ready and willing, even itching, to cross them at any moment. North Korea’s boy king, Kim Jong-un, who seems totally off the grid, has ordered his strategic rocket forces to be on standby, ready to hit U.S. and South Korean targets at a moment’s notice. Which is why you see the South Koreans starting to wonder aloud whether they should stay on this side of the red line and not be building their own nuclear bomb. Iran is also steadily getting closer to a similar combination of a homemade nuclear weapon and delivery system, and so far no sanctions have deterred Tehran. Meanwhile, Egypt is running out of money to buy bread for its people and is perilously close to crossing the red line into failed-state status, which would destabilize the whole region. At the same time, Syria’s mad leader, Bashar al-Assad, having been given the choice of 'rule or ruin,' has chosen ruin for his country, which is also approaching state collapse, raising the prospect of jihadist militias picking through the rubble to obtain chemical weapons and sophisticated surface-to-air missiles — with no adult supervision."

Tom's right - The world has become increasingly fraught with danger over the past four years. Obama has engaged in meaningless negotiations involving Tehran's nuclear weapons development program, while dissing Egypt's Mubarak in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, in order to face these looming threats, he has appointed John Kerry, who labeled Assad his "dear friend," as secretary of state, and made Chuck Hagel, who agreed that America is the "world's bully," his secretary of defense.

Thanks to Barry - only the Pillsbury Doughboy is more feared by the world's tyrants and despots - we may indeed be on the eve of destruction, yet Friedman still manages some abject ass-kissing:

"Kudos to President Obama for still trying for a Grand Bargain."

A leopard cannot change its spots.