“America is interested in change and reform in the Middle East but in a stable way.” Quote by Thomas Friedman
“I don't think that stability and the status quo go together at all, not in a flat world where people are integrated, where women are assuming new roles, where young people want to be consulted and participate. I think the trick is to open up, move down the path of reform, do it in a way that is consistent with your own society's stability and culture, and just don't think you can do nothing.” PeopleThinkingWorldWayWantTogetherMovingYoungCultureCan DoRolesPathAssumingTricksReformConsistentFlatsStabilityStatus QuoIntegrated Author:Thomas Friedman
“The Middle East would always be an important trading partner in just a market sense, like America is a big market for us, Asia is a big market, Europe is a big market. You are going to have hundreds of millions of consumers there, from just a standard market point of view, from a very narrow American point of view.” ImportantBigsAmericaViewsMillionsMiddleStandardsEuropePoint Of ViewEastPartnersConsumersMiddle EastAsiaTradingTrading Partners Author:Thomas Friedman
“I'm a radical pro-immigration advocate. I'm not saying we just look at the Muslim world or we just look at China, we just look at India as a source of our talent. But, one thing we know... first or second generation or new immigrants or children of immigrants have started about 40% of the Fortune 500 companies. For me it's always been a really very important issue that I want America to be open to the most energetic and talented people from around the world.” PeopleKnowsWorldWantFirstsLooksChildrenImportantAmericaCompanyIssuesGenerationsOne ThingTalentSourceIndiaFortuneChinaImmigrationAround The WorldRadicalImmigrantsEnergeticImportant IssuesMuslim World Author:Thomas Friedman
“All one needs to do is just to go to any hospital in America and see the number of Pakistani or Indian or Lebanese, or Syrian, or Egyptian doctors, who are either first generation or themselves immigrants, to know, and I'm a big believer - brains are distributed evenly around the world. What aren't distributed evenly are opportunities, stable government, educational institutions, etc.” KnowsWorldNeedsFirstsBigsGovernmentAmericaOpportunityNumbersBrainGenerationsDoctorsInstitutionsEducationalBelieverAround The WorldIndianEtcImmigrantsHospitalsStableDoctor WhoEgyptianLebaneseEducational Institutions Author:Thomas Friedman
“I don't know what the average income of Muslim-Americans is, but Muslim-American immigrants of recent vintage, I bet they have a very above-average representation in professional and business occupations.” KnowsAverageIncomeImmigrantsOccupationRepresentationVintageAbove Average Author:Thomas Friedman
“Why is it Muslims from Pakistan or from Egypt come to America and thrive, and they are frustrated back home? It's about clean government. It's about a rule of law. It's about intellectual property protection. They've got all the talent and energy of anybody else. As new immigrants they may have more of it, so you put them in our system and they become doctors, lawyers, and businessmen and entrepreneurs.” MayHomeGovernmentAmericaLawEnergyTalentIntellectualDoctorsEntrepreneurPropertyCleanProtectionLawyerThriveImmigrantsFrustratedBusinessmanEgyptPakistanRule Of LawBack HomeIntellectual Property Author:Thomas Friedman
“I don't think the Arab Spring had much to do with energy. I think it was just the opposite, in fact. I think the Arab Spring happened because particularly young people knew they were living in a context where they could not realize their full potential, that they are being kept down by their own governments.” PeopleThinkingFactsGovernmentYoungEnergyRealizingHappenedSpringOppositesFull PotentialArab Spring Author:Thomas Friedman
“The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.” LoveHeartLongRemainsAfrican AmericanLocked Author:Josephine Baker
“America was the funder of petro-dictatorships. We treated all these countries as basically big, large gas stations: Libya station, Iraq station, Iran station, Egypt station, Syria station, and all we asked of them were three things: Keep your palms open, your prices low and don't bother Israel too much, and you can do whatever you want to your own people.” PeopleWantCountryBigsAmericaThreeCan DoToo MuchLowsIraqIsraelTreatedBotherGasIranStationsDictatorshipSyriaEgyptPalmsThree ThingsLibyaDo Whatever You WantGas Stations Author:Thomas Friedman
“Iraq today does have a chance to shape its own future. They may not do that, or this generation may not do that. But maybe the next one will, I don't know. They may try and fail, and stumble, get up and fall back.” KnowsTryingMayDoeTodayFallNextChanceFailingGenerationsShapesIraqGet UpFall BackThe Next OneThis Generation Author:Thomas Friedman