Comment on Tom Friedman's 1/6 column

Below is my commentary on Tom Friedman's column from today, entitled "Father Knows Best." In it, he salutes the efforts of the underwear bomber's father to notify authorities and intercept his son before he acted on his new-found jihadist views.
My take is a bit different, calling attention to a quote he incorporates about the importance of norms of acceptable conduct within any culture that carry more weight than laws, guns or threats. My view is that this is something we too could be practicing more in our own politics.
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"People need to be governed both from the outside, through compliance with rules, and from the inside, inspired by shared values. That is why shame is so important."

Good words, and a good call on citing the good citizenship of the would-be bomber's father. It's too bad we don't see more of this kind of self-policing -- or at least attempts at such -- in the spiraling incivility that has overtaken our own politics.

Last evening, Jonathan Alter -- as a guest on the Rachel Maddow Show -- advised that President Obama invite Dick Cheney to the White House for a face-to-face talk about the effect of the former Vice President's incessant whining about Obama's conduct of the War on Terror. Alter's point was that the actual impact of the Cheney tirade-in-perpetuity was, ironically, to embolden the very enemies Cheney fears aren't being made to feel fearful enough by this Administration.

Taking this column as a cue, surely there exists in Cheney's circle someone closer to the former Vice President who, in the spirit of the Nigerian father, is moved to do the country's and the President's bidding under the radar of the public press. Putting the shared values of true patriotism ahead of partisan and personal ties, such a person could deliver, as a friend, the same exact message that Mr. Alter knows would not be received, let alone taken to heart, were it sent by Obama to Cheney directly. Shame, indeed, is important -- except when there is, sadly, no shame.