George Will says that he has written several books on politics and one on

baseball, and the baseball book outsold all the politics books combined. So

with our little poetry debate. I have had a half-dozen desultory e-mails,

some defending Eliot, some taking my side. When I ventured to say that the

young Diana Rigg was not pretty, however, the MAILBOX FULL bar on my hotmail

account was soon flashing bright red. Now it’s happening all over again

with Gong Li. Well, at least I know where my readers’ hearts are.

Now let’s talk serious politics. A reader: “You must know that Scrooge

McDuck was a great conservative. One of my first economic lessons (and many

other lessons) came from a Scrooge McDuck comic book. Brief as I can make

it: Scrooge and nephews are working on a farm where Scrooge has hidden his

money. Donald complains that he has to work to hard. He wishes he had a

million dollars so he wouldn’t have to work! Then, like a modern liberal,

he says (and I paraphrase) ‘But I shouldn’t be greedy. I wish everyone had

a million dollars, then no one would have to work!’ A freak tornado blows

in and scatters Scrooges millions to everyone in the area. Donald,

overjoyed, rushes into town to buy a train ticket and ’see the world.’

Unfortunately, the ticket office has a sign in the window saying, ‘Closed,

gone to see the world.’ So does the restaurant in town. And so does every

other place one can spend money. Meanwhile, back at the farm, Huey, Dewey,

and Louie ask Uncle Scrooge what he will do about losing his money. Scrooge

says not to worry, just keep working. Sure enough, a couple days pass, the

whole town gets hungry, and they all come to Uncle Scrooge’s farm to buy

eggs, vegetables, and other food for many thousands of dollars per item.”