How to Write a Column About Nelson Mandela, If You Are Thomas Friedman

How to write a column about Nelson Mandela,
if you are Thomas Friedman:

1. There’s no need to spelunk through the
man’s life for something to write about. Remember that
movie Invictus? The one where Morgan Freeman played
Mandela? Talk about a scene from that. You can even quote one of
Freeman’s lines, because why bother digging up anything the actual
Mandela actually said?

2. Don’t bother interviewing any experts on South African
history or politics. Just talk with the author of a
management self-help book. He’s sure to have lots of insights
into Mandela’s leadership secrets, so give him several paragraphs
to express himself.

3. It’s good to take a look at the big picture too, so you
should suggest that the failures of democratic movements in Egypt,
Ukraine, and elsewhere show that they need “a leader, but the right
kind of leader.” Like Morgan Freeman, I guess.