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  Pareto and petit bourgeois nietzschianism “His belief in man's freedom of thought and action, whether in the marketplace, in the press or in the university lecture halls remained unshaken till the end of his life. His economic liberalism was similar to that of the classical school; he upheld the freedom of markets, defended the merits of a free competitive system and was responsible more than any other economist for turning economics into a positive science, devoid of ethical considerations.” Such is the summing up of Pareto’s work by one of his modern admirers, Renato Cirillo. The last phrase, with its combination of the petit bourgeois and Nietzschian grandiosity, is meant seriously. But of course it is nonsense: you do not uphold the ‘freedom of the markets”, or think that “freedom” even has a meaning in relation to ‘markets’, unless you are jammed full of ethical considerations, unless they dictate your whole view of the social hierarchy. Pareto optimi

Prufock, contemplating old age, asked “do I dare to eat a peach.” Myself, near that same dire portal, am asking myself “do I dare to read Peter Baker’s massive fluffing of the Bushies?” I think the medically sound answer should be no. Any reporter who proves that Bush was not bossed around by his VP by quoting Bush’s and Cheney’s friends –well, that reporter should go quail hunting with the monster formerly known as the Vice President. What did Baker expect? Interview the friends of Vlad the Impaler and I’m sure you’d get a picture of a man who saved the lifes of small birdies who had tumbled from the nest. Especially if they know Vlad can still fuck with them. But it was ever thus with Peter Baker. No, he did not reach the heights of ludicrousness ascended by certain of Bush’s flatterers – oh who can forget – or who wants to remember – Fred Barnes Rebel in Chief, a book where asslicking and orgasm tinge the pages (and will probably transmit a sexual disease to you if you turn them

Well, two news items about that old festering crime we’ve all forgotten, the occupation of Iraq, recently came to the surface – giving us a really sweet juxtaposition of the 00s. One comes from the NYT world class suckup, Peter Baker, whose reporting in the 00s was to reality as Oz was toKansas – quite a distance away. In his opus of insiderdom (he talked to all ofBush’s friends and ministers! And it turns out he was an excellent president!),he reports that Bush, during some rough spots in the war in 2006, ground histeeth so much they hurt. The darling! One can tell that Baker is himself moved,and probably, as he typed, had to swallow tears himself, such are his feelingsfor the great man.  The other is a rather unimportant item. Item: best estimatesare that nearly 500,000 Iraqis died in the 2003-2011 period due to our bigadventure. But Bush’s aching teeth! My, how we sacrificed to set the Iraqis free. I get all well teary eyed thinking about Operation Enduring Toothache.

Adam is one year old today. A year! And yet, it is, on some days, hard to imagine we were ever without Adam - the laughter in the morning, the falling asleep to either ocean waves or cricket sounds via YouTube, the unpredictable enthusiasms for the stuffed gorilla, the slow, concentrated way he will at first point and then press his finger on a button, a piece of lint, some presque rien that, for reasons I'll never know, has come into his consciousness for a moment and reigns there, like the full moon lights up a dark night. What is rarely said - because we have to hide this behind complaints, otherwise the world would fill up with babies - is how enjoyable a baby is. Nobody wraps their arms around your neck with such utter, trusting abandonment like a baby - or makes such marvelous burbles, or makes ordinary things - standing, rolling, looking out the window - seem so never done before.  Ah, our lulu!