What Is At Stake In The Debate

The Thing Now Is To Seem Concerned In A Vaguely Social-democratic Way.

Every City Is Either Vibrant These Days Or Is Working On A Plan To Attain Vibrancy Soon. The Reason Is Simple: A City Isn't Successful - Isn't Even A City, Really - Unless It Can Lay Claim To Being 'vibrant.'

As You May Recall, Truman Was Extremely Unpopular When He Finally Left Washington In 1953, Thanks Largely To The Korean War. Today, However, He Is Thought To Have Been A Solidly Good President, A 'near Great' Even, In The Terminology Of Those Surveys Of Historians They Do Every Now And Then.

People Are Born In A Certain Place, And In A Certain Society. I Don't Mean To Sound Like A Determinist, But To Think We're Entirely Free To Do Whatever We Want Betrays A Certain Class Perspective. For Most People Who Have To Work For A Living, And Work At Jobs Under Conditions They May Not Like, It's Just Not Simple When It Comes To Freedom.

In The Subprime Mortgage Industry, Bankers Handed Out Iffy Loans Like Candy At A Parade Because Such Loans Meant Revenue And, Hence, Bonuses For Executives In The Here-and-now.