The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.61/No.30           September 8, 1997 
 
 
The Great Society  

BY HARRY RING
Drive to work, or work to drive? - Last year, buyers plunked down an average of $21,750 for a new car, 6.4 percent more than 1995. And in '96, used cars again outsold new ones and fetched a record average of $11,600, a jump of nearly 5 percent over the previous year.

P.S. The above numbers bring to mind Washington's assertions that the federal cost-of-living index overstates actual increases in living expenses.

Rude and unprofessional -That videotape of Texas prison guards using dogs, clubs, and stun guns to brutalize inmates drew some strong statements from officials. The chief deputy didn't see "any real brutality," but felt the video did show "unprofessional activity." The local police chief saw a need for "sensitivity training."

`Top Secret' - A recently declassified government document disclosed that at the time of the Kennedy assassination, Fidel Castro thought Washington might try to hang it on Cuba as the pretext for an invasion. He mobilized Cuba's armed forces and in a national telecast, reported the situation to the Cuban people.

Have an e-burger -With the August 21 recall of an added 25 million pounds of Hudson beef, questions were posed about federal inspection procedures. Many inspectors visit more than a dozen plants a day, in a100-mile area. To detect microbes like E. coli, they still use the poke and sniff method.

Truly `American' - In 1995, an American Airlines plane crashed in Colombia, killing all but four of 163 people aboard. In a pending suit, an AA pilots' manual has turned up. It warns that Latin Americans are often drunk and unruly, and if they're late getting to the airport, "it's rumored that they will phone in a false bomb threat to delay departure."

Oops, pardon us - AA says it's removing that manual and will investigate those responsible for it. It was written in 1989 and revised in 1995. No one noticed the offensive material until it became public.

Fringe benefits - The new budget's reduced capital gains tax will mean a mint for tax lawyers and accountants skilled in transforming ordinary income into capital gains. Chortled one accountant: "This will get me into my retirement years. For a while.. we were actually concerned they were going to simplify the tax code. You don't hear that talk any more."

How it's done - Occasionally a skeptic will ask, suspiciously, "Where do you get the stuff for that column?" Our reply: "This society provides such an abundance of material that there's no need to make things up." The column is based on items sent by readers. Joining the club is easy. Send clippings to Great Society, Pathfinder Bookstore, 2546 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90006. Fax to 213-380-1268.  
 
 
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