New York Times reporter Thomas L. Friedman is one of our more insightful commentators on the mid-East, globalization and international affairs. But it's also true that Friedman at times gets carried away with himself. In his new book, The World Is Flat, Friedman draws a bit too much meaning from East/West, new world/old world, hi tech/low tech juxtapositions that by now are commonplace.
For instance, Friedman seems almost dumbstruck by this banal utterance from Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani: "Tom, the playing field is being leveled." New York Press columnist Matt Taibbi's deconstruction of the Friedmanesque world view is biting but spot on and is hilarious to boot.