Nadezhda, I have no problem with Leftist or Rightist rants as long as they spear what they are aiming at, and Hitch, like Trotsky is very good at that. Wolcott, however, seems to these eyes to be attacking his own delusions about others - not the same thing in my book. With the best of them, even their targets are left saying "ouch!" even if they don't change their minds. That said, I agree that Friedman's idea is nuts on the surface of it. Maybe I should re-read Wolcott again, but after he started praying for huricanes a few months back, I have had a bad taste in my mouth about him.