The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.62/No.1           January 12, 1998 
 
 
The Great Society  

BY HARRY RING
Why a travel ban? - "Talk to a Cuban for five minutes and you are struck by his or her cultural and political awareness. The children of the revolution are poor but educated. They have all their teeth. They quote poetry and beam a soldierly pride in having adhered to principle." - A New York magazine reporter in Havana.

Pay and Pray - A survey finds that 90 percent of HMO execs believe prayer and meditation aid in medical treatment and expedite healing. The survey also found that 90 percent of HMOs don't cover prayer and meditation therapy. But three-quarters of the execs did favor such coverage - if it can be shown to save money and improve patient satisfaction.

Probably so - Dubbed "Robocop" for his so-called zero tolerance law enforcement, British detective superintendent Raymond Mallon has won plaudits from Labour and Tory politicians alike. (Labour Prime Minister Anthony Blair: "Clearly ... you're getting results.") Currently, Mallon is suspended for wrong-doing, including activity "which could be construed as criminal conduct." Declared Robocop: "I have nothing to worry about."

Ain't that wonderful? - "Foreign companies that produce and sell toothpaste and hygiene products are seriously interested in the Russian market... Four or five years ago, there wasn't a single toothpaste ad on television. Now you see them on every channel." - A Russian advertising hustler.

A fair day's work for a fair day's pay - Starting with his recent $565 million bonus, adding on previous bonuses and his $750,000 annual pay, the Times of London estimates that Disney mogul Michael Eisner has made a billion during his nine years on the job. The paper calculates that breaks down to a daily wage of about $160,000.

Including us - A survey of England's consumers found many are duped by misleading food labels. Like, 75 percent think "Haddock fillets" are single fish fillets, not pieces sliced from compressed blocks of fish.

Catching up with the times -The venerable makers of top- selling Drambuie liqueur have launched the company's first new product in 250 years. Black Ribbon is a variation on the recipe and, naturally, will cost more. (Our neighborhood dispensary still has the old stuff, $25.99 a fifth.)

What a deal - Sure, it's mainly publicity hype, but if we had the time... A weekend deal for three couples at the Ritz- Carlton, a California hotel overlooking the Pacific. Deluxe rooms, great food, $225- a-shot cognac, $40 Cohiba cigars, and vintage wine. And, when you check out, each couple gets a $130,000 Mercedes-Benz, free. The package, $500,000.

Happy revolutionary New Year! - And please check that your list of revolutionary resolves includes contributing clippings for this column. Send to: Great Society c/o Pathfinder Bookstore, 2546 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90006. Fax: (213) 380-1268.  
 
 
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