SELF-IMPROVEMENT

improving extant versions of democracy and capitalism is a little like brain surgery — you have to make what could amount to massive changes while keeping the host alive during the process. this seems to me easier, safer and perhaps the only way to make changes in the present world order. the idea that we can throw out major chunks of the brain and drop in new ones while somehow keeping the host alive seems fraught with much greater danger and much less (diminishing to zero, really)   opportunity for success. in my time I have seen what war and depression and revolution does. no matter what gains are promised and even eventually made toward a more rational distributive order, if indeed there are any, the costs have proved enormous. any amount of discussion, however prolonged, in the final analysis will prove to have been safer and cheaper by any measure, including the cost in both lives and treasure. ditto our host planet.

STUMBLING ON SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE

after finishing The Bell Jar on my kindle, which was beautifully constructed of beautiful language, if maddening, the next book in the library turned out to be one of my own, Letters of Acceptance, and so I started in to reading it. I quickly discovered that it too was beautifully constructed of beautiful language, as unique in its way, and so I read on.

I am surprised at the number of languages I have constructed for the number of works I have written. as I say that my mind, if not my face, is smiling.