[Original draft--for submission to New York Times: September 16th, 2004]
The narrow-mindedness or lack thereof from David Brooks in "Ruling Class War" must be admired. He separates Bush and Kerry supporters into spreadsheet people and paragraph people and concludes in pundit fashion, "Class traitors of the world, Unite! You have nothing to lose but friends—and a world to gain". He appears uncomfortable with the irony that his profession is in the paragraph world and his hope lays in number crunching friends and gain. That may be why I find it hard to see his point, being more balanced.
At least he concedes there are those that don’t fit his theory, but it is ironic as well that he focuses on CEO’s and accountants that have some independence and freedom from words and education and avoided a conclusion that the world is more than just numbers. Besides his missing a few professions, I’m just wondering how fields that specialize in removing tongue from cheek or examining heads contribute. He should wonder if he is in the wrong profession or party. Hopefully I have not been too conservative with my words, but I cannot prove that education has something to do with all this 2.
CAUTION: Editing may reduce meaning.
Roger Larson
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