The Week

■ Andrew Young accused the United Nations of sexism. Andrew Young sexed the United Nations of accusism. The United Sex accused Andrew Young of nationalism. The United ismism accused Andrew Young Nation of sex. The Andrew accused used the United Nations of youngism. Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? (That’s a Latinism.)

■ The Congress has, as usual, covered itself with guano in writing the new tax bill. Given a chance to grant genuine relief through the Kemp-Roth tax-cut proposal, the Democrats first complained that it would bloat the deficit unless it were allied with cuts in spending; then, given precisely a bill to ally tax cuts with spending cuts, tore it to shreds and came up with the present chaos, compounded of equal parts chicanery and negligence, parading as a tax cut, and actually destined to raise taxes by about $16 billion next year. In many cases the bill will actually raise the tax rate on capital gains. In almost all cases it will raise the taxes on individuals, mainly because the so-called cut is too small to offset the already scheduled rise in Social Security taxes. But one major group will escape that problem handily because they have arranged to have their own retirement program: members of Congress and the Executive branch.

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■ Andrew Young accused the United Nations of sexism. Andrew Young sexed the United Nations of accusism. The United Sex accused Andrew Young of nationalism. The United ismism accused Andrew Young Nation of sex. The Andrew accused used the United Nations of youngism. Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? (That’s a Latinism.)

■ The Congress has, as usual, covered itself with guano in writing the new tax bill. Given a chance to grant genuine relief through the Kemp-Roth tax-cut proposal, the Democrats first complained that it would bloat the deficit unless it were allied with cuts in spending; then, given precisely a bill to ally tax cuts with spending cuts, tore it to shreds and came up with the present chaos, compounded of equal parts chicanery and negligence, parading as a tax cut, and actually destined to raise taxes by about $16 billion next year. In many cases the bill will actually raise the tax rate on capital gains. In almost all cases it will raise the taxes on individuals, mainly because the so-called cut is too small to offset the already scheduled rise in Social Security taxes. But one major group will escape that problem handily because they have arranged to have their own retirement program: members of Congress and the Executive branch.