If "taxation without representation is tyranny," as James Otis claimed in 1765, what is taxation with poor representation? That's where we are these days.
I've figured out what the Occupy Wall Street crowd wants thanks to a Hollywood classic. Key Largo (1948) contains a simple bit of dialogue that has remained with me since the first time I saw it decades ago. In it, a gangster once on top, on the run, takes over a small resort hotel, where he must wait out a hurricane so that he can make a score that will restore him to prominence. Edward G. Robinson played the gangster, Lionel Barrymore the wheel-chair-bound proprietor, and Humphrey Bogart a down on his luck WWII veteran. I apologize if the dialogue isn't 100% accurate. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Brooks and the film's director, John Huston, from the play by Maxwell Anderson.
Barrymore: "What d'you want, Rocco?"
Robinson is stumped.
Bogie: I'll tell you what he wants - he wants more."
And Robinson smiles broadly and says: "Yeah, that's it - more."
Greed is not restricted to corporations. There is also the greed for entitlements, which the protesters personify. The former at least creates wealth and jobs. The latter only consumes wealth, although some of it does good. When the Tea Partiers gathered, there were almost no arrests, no blocking of traffic, no drinking or public urination, and they left the venues as clean as they found them. Once they made their points they quickly went back to their lives. As I see it, the protest should be in Washington, the root of most, if not all economic problems. Its members should be called The Johnny Rocco Party.
It was back to normal today at the floating bookshop after a nice ten day run of luck. I sold only three Ed McBain thrillers. I did get a donation of two Bibles, one in Russian, from different men. Don't know if there was a message in that.
Now playing on 57 Radio - Sue Thompson's heart-tugger, Have a Good Time, a far better record than her biggest hit, Norman.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
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