The Friedman Test: Name That Country by The Globalist

Globalist Chart > Global Diplomacy The Friedman Test: Name That Country
By The Globalist \| Thursday, February 22, 2007

Some countries appear eternal friends of the United States, while others are made out to be mortal enemies. Our Globalist Chart, which draws on a recent article by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, proves that looks can be deceiving. Of the two countries described, try to determine their names — and which is a U.S. ally and which is not.

	Country A		Country B

Its women vote, hold office, comprise the majority of its university students and are fully integrated into the workforce

Does not allow its women to drive, vote or run for office

Its brand of Islam respects women and is open to reinterpretation in light of modernity Its brand of Islam is the most hostile to modernity and other faiths

Was among the very few in the Muslim world to hold spontaneous pro-U.S. demonstrations on 9/11 Some of its citizens celebrated on 9/11, and many of its people are hostile to the United States

Has long protected its Christians and Jews Illegalizes the building of churches, synagogues or Hindu temples

Has a strategic interest in the success of the pro-U.S., Shiite-led, elected Iraqi government Does not want the elected, Shiite-led government in Iraq to succeed

Has never sent any suicide bombers to Iraq Its young men have been regularly recruited to carry out suicide bombings in Iraq

Rejects Al Qaeda's nihilism Its private charities help sustain Al Qaeda

Actively helped the United States defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan and replace it with a pro-U.S. elected alliance of moderate Muslims Helped finance the Taliban

Now, can you guess which country should be the natural ally of the United States? That's right, Country A. Now, as for naming the countries: Country A is Iran, whose relations with the United States are becoming increasingly strained. Country B is Saudi Arabia, which has a largely cordial relationship with the United States.

While Iran has engaged in terrorism against the United States and is carrying out nuclear activities in defiance of the United Nations — and while Saudi Arabia has at times assisted the United States, particularly during the first Gulf War — the United States, in terms of overall values, perplexingly has much more in common with its current "enemy" than with its current "friend."

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