Can’t jump a millimeter in the Syrian desert?

Factual Questions
1

Tom Friedman was on CNN and was making a metaphorical reference to the power of trust and stated (paraphrased, because I don’t remember the exact quote) “you can’t jump in the Syrian desert; not even a millimeter.”

This isn’t really relevant to my question, but his point was that trust among people working together to create policy is like a hard wooden floor below a basketball player that allows the player to jump high enough to dunk a basketball. Meanwhile distrust is like the Syrian desert, where you can’t jump even a millimeter.

Is this true? Are there at least some parts of that specific desert where it is indeed impossible for a person to jump?

2

I don’t believe there are going to be large areas of any kind of place (except those covered with water) where it’s impossible to jump anywhere. Googling images of the Syrian desert shows a variety of different terrains, some of them look quite compacted and rocky, where surely it’s possible to jump.

If you’re standing on the steep flank of a sand dune, it may be impossible to jump, I suppose - the sand would just give way under you.

3

I would think anywhere you can walk, you could jump at least a millimeter.

4

That was my first thought. I mean it’s not quicksand, right?

5

You do mention areas covered with water don’t count… but:

I’ve walked on boggy ground and fens, where you have basically a thick soft mat of moss and other vegetation that’s either floating or fully saturated with ground water. Your feet sink in to your ankles, and if it’s soft enough below then your feet might punch even deeper. This, like soft tidal mud, are examples of a surface solid enough to walk on made (in part) from mineral or biomass, yet potentially not solid enough for you to jump from.

6

As a metaphor - you will have difficulty jumping in soft sand. The softer it is, the harder to jump. (If it’s like some east coast beaches above the tide line, it can be a pain even to walk in.) The “millimeter” bit is what I would call exaggeration for effect.

( “Not true! I can jump several millimeters!” )

7

Syrian Desert

The land is open, rocky or gravelly desert pavement, cut with occasional wadis.[5][6][7][8]

Does not appear to be a desert of loose sand where it is impossible or even difficult to jump a millimeter.

8

I can’t speak to deserts, but as to trust in human societies, this is relevant:

I got a lot out of this book

back when it was released. Which was before Fukuyama sort of drank the Gingrich Kool-Aid and turned into a beast.

9

Syria is a big place. Somewhere, there is likely sand so loosely packed that you will sink into it up to your ankles making it impossible to have both feet off the ground at one time. I’d venture any country not perpetually bellow freezing has a terrain somewhere that meets the criteria, whether it be sand, mud, or whatever.

10

Liehman was a reportor for New York Times based in Bierut and then in Jerusalem.
So that might be why its not a known english expression…

Anyway, here’s Douglas Wilson and a description of the talk, and a link to the full recording.

11

Ah, so the expression has been used before. I wonder if it is commonly known.

12

I think anything Tom Friedman says can be presumed nonsense.