Thomas Friedman, "Flying Blind in Iraq and Syria": Do You Remember How Tom "Flew Blind" in Egypt?

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Flying Blind in Iraq and Syria," Thomas Friedman writes:

"Indeed, ISIS is telling us what it wants us to know through Twitter and Facebook, and keeping from us anything it doesn’t want us to know. So be wary of what anyone tells you about this war — good, bad or indifferent. Without independent reporting on the ground, we’re in for some surprises. If you don’t go, you don’t know."

Does "independent reporting" on the ground ensure accuracy? Consider for example the rubbish spouted by Thomas Friedman, Roger Cohen and Nicholas Kristof from Tahrir Square in Cairo during the Arab Spring. There were too many interviews with intellectuals and not enough with the Muslim Brotherhood toughs going head to head with the Egyptian army. From Tahrir Square, Friedman reported to us in a video:

"This is the most remarkable thing I have ever seen. This is the single most authentic expression of Arab aspiration, hope, frustration, culture, identity, that I ever seen anytime, anywhere. Somebody broke open a fire hydrant here, and the real Egypt in all this energy, passion and hope is just gushing out.

. . . .

All I can tell you is what you see behind me here is the new realism. Whatever policy we make in the Middle East better be based on what's going on back here, which is an authentic expression of hopes and aspirations of Egyptians, and I would say even Arabs, to own their countries."

The "new realism"? The US should have based its policy on the events which transpired in Tahrir Square? Yeah, right. Tahrir Square brought Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to power, but when Egyptians grew tired of the Muslim Brotherhood's totalitarianism, General Sisi seized power by way of a coup.

The Arab Spring? Toast.

Go back to sleep, Tom, before you hurt yourself.