Pale Fire, Lightning Strike
January 17th, 2008Not cool — Nabokov, who has become a favorite of mine, will possibly have his final work of literature burnt by his son, per his dying request. Does he have that right, to have someone burn his literature on his behalf? Sure. But I would hope that Nabokov’s son would, instead, take the Dickinson approach but without the sleaze. That is: release it without editing it, and apologize in spirit. You simply can’t destroy these works without committing a grave crime against humanity.
In other news, the American government is looking to cut off a recession before it happens but many analysts predict it will happen anyway.
United for urgent action, the White House and Congress raced toward emergency steps Thursday to rescue the national economy from a possible recession, including tax rebates of at least $300 a person _ and maybe as much as $800. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed the idea of putting money into the hands of those who would spend it quickly and boost the flagging economy.
All the talk of rescue efforts failed to soothe Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrials plunged 306.95 points, underscoring deepening concern about the country’s economic health. The sudden scramble to take action came as fears mounted that a severe housing slump and a painful credit crisis could cause people to clamp down on their spending and businesses to put a lid on hiring, throwing the country into its first recession since 2001.
I am watching this with curiosity. It is always important to watch the economy, especially when you and your family might become casualties of it (as is my case presently) and certainly when you have empathy for those others who might be affected by such a decline as well. Then there are the politics. It could, of course, be a great boon to the Clinton campaign and throw the entire primaries out of their rhythm. Like with so many things, we will simply have to wait and see — although Slate magazine believes it will be a good thing because it will force our businessmen to be better at doing business overseas. It’s a thought.