From the Hinterland… – You read the strangest things when you’re on the road. Take Julianne Malveaux (No, you take Julianne Malveaux) in USA Today. What can I say? It was free, which is only a little more than she’s worth.
Some columnists disguise their distaste for America, but not Ms. Malveaux. The last thing I remember from her is her refusal to celebrate July 4. Today, she blames “the corporate hall of shame” on two things: corporations “take the capitalist message of profit maximization too seriously,” and “government takes its role of containing capitalism too lightly.”
Now that I think about it, Ms. Malveaux does disguise her distaste a bit, since in her heart of hearts she doesn’t want government to wage a cold war to “contain” capitalism. She wants a hot war to roll it back.
First, it is not Ms. Malveaux. It is Dr. Julianne Malveaux. Unlike you, she managed to complete a PhD. She did hers in economics at MIT and finished when she was 26 years old. You could learn a thing or two from her.
Jesse Jackson is visiting a primary school and he visits one of the
classes. They are in the middle of a discussion related to words and their
meaning. The teacher ask the Reverend Jackson if he would like to lead the
discussion of the word “tragedy.”
So the illustrious leader ask the class for an example of a “tragedy.”
One little boy stands up and offers; If my best friend who lives on a
farm, is playing in the field and a runaway tractor comes along and knocks
him dead, that would be a tragedy. ”
“No” says the great Jesse Jackson “that would be an accident.
A little girl raised her hand … “If a school bus carrying 50 children
drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy.”
“I’m afraid not ,” explains the exalted spiritual. “that `s what we call a
great loss.”
The room goes silent. No other children volunteer. Rev. Jackson searches
the room.”Isn’t there someone here who can give me an example of a
tragedy?”.
Finally at the back of the room a small boy raises his hand. In a quiet
voice he says “If a jet carrying the Reverend Jackson were struck by
missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.”
“Fantastic!” exclaims Jackson, “that’s right. And can you tell me why that
would be a tragedy?”
“Well says the boy,”because it sure as hell wouldn’t be a great loss and it
wouldn’t be an accident either.”