[lbo-talk] The Need for "Reform" (Re: A Modest Proposal)

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Sat Mar 5 18:49:55 PST 2005



>When you talk about substantive reforms of these major institutions
>while keeping the rudiments of capitalism, you can't make
>assumptions that things "would" happen in a positive way. Indeed,
>in these parameters, I'd be very surprised if there's any reform of
>these major institutions that can't and won't be applied and managed
>in such a way that cuts right across your intended goal and sustains
>the values and hierarchies of the society around us.
>
>Solidarity!
>Mark L.

I found a wonderful letter to the New York Times a while ago, and your comment reminded me to post it to my blog (at <http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/03/need-for-reform.html>):

<blockquote>To the Editor:

More than half a century ago, George Orwell warned, in his essay "Politics and the English Language," against the immorality implicit in the use, especially by government officials, of intentionally misleading words. I think of Orwell's essay every time that President Bush speaks of the need for "reform" of Social Security and tort law.

Orwell's contemporary George Bernard Shaw got it right when he reputedly retorted to an adversary whom he was debating: "Do not speak to me, sir, of reform. Things are bad enough as they are!"

JAMES O. FREEDMAN Cambridge, Mass., Feb. 24, 2005

The writer is president emeritus of Dartmouth College and the University of Iowa.</blockquote> -- Yoshie

* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/> * Greens for Nader: <http://greensfornader.net/> * Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * OSU-GESO: <http://www.osu-geso.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>



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