He has also expressed concern about the United States ' lack of energy independence . He has stated , " First rule of oil — addicts never tell the truth to their pushers . We are the addicts , the oil producers are the pushers — we 've never had an honest conversation with the Saudis . " In 2007 , Friedman viewed American immigration laws as too restrictive and damaging to U.S. economic output : " It is pure idiocy that Congress will not open our borders — as wide as possible — to attract and keep the world 's first-round intellectual draft choices in an age when everyone increasingly has the same innovation tools and the key differentiator is human talent . " After visiting the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego , California in early April 2019 , Friedman wrote , " The whole day left me more certain than ever that we have a real immigration crisis and that the solution is a high wall with a big gate — but a smart gate . " After the September 11 attacks in 2001 , Friedman 's writing focused more on the threat of terrorism and the Middle East . He was awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary " for his clarity of vision , based on extensive reporting , in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat " . These columns were collected and published in the book '' Longitudes and Attitudes '' . For a while , his reporting on post-9 / 11 topics led him to diverge from his prior interests in technological advances and globalization , until he began to research '' The World Is Flat ''
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Thomas Friedman