NY Times’ Friedman: There Are Too Many Americans On The Planet

Northwood Ho Blog
Tuesday, January 12, 2009

I see by the snailpapers that Thomas Friedman, visiting Taiwan this
week, told his audience in Taipei: ” I’m gonna tell you a
secret. Don’t let anybody else know,” he said. “There
are too many Americans in the world today.”It is a blessing that
so many people in the world can live like Americans, Friedman said, but
“the good Lord did not design our planet for this many
Americans.”

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/01/12/2003463307

CLIMADIPLOMACY: Visiting American writer Thomas L. Friedman of the
New York Times said “There are too many Americans in the world
today.” But read the entire story LINK and below to see what he
really meant by this remark at a lecture in Taipei City on January 11,
2010.

Citing his book Hot, Flat and Crowded, Mr Friedman said the average
global temperature had risen by almost 2ºC since the Industrial
Revolution.

Flat is Friedman’s metaphor for a world in which more and more
people can live a middle-class American lifestyle, have their jobs and
drive their cars.

“I’m gonna tell you a secret. Don’t let anybody
else know,” he said. “There are too many Americans in the
world today.”It is a blessing that so many people in the world
can live like Americans, Friedman said, but “the good Lord did
not design our planet for this many Americans.”