the phone call

The Alberton Papers, Vol III, # XVII
By Dick Darne 2-17-07
The phone call
"What’s that number" asked Johnny.
"It’s 1-800-NOV-OODO, it’ll put you right through to the Financial Tech Department" answered Gno.
Johnny dialed and put the phone on speaker, turning the volume up. After a few rings, a voice came from the speaker.
"Financial Tech, Professor Berkowitz here, just call me Sven. I see you’re calling from Montana, to give me the latest Nodak joke maybe?"
"Oh no, we have some serious questions from our think tank. We were told you were the best." replied someone in the tank.
"Ah, wunnerful, wunnerful, if we don’t ask questions, how will we ever learn? Not puffballs, but real questions. Go ahead, my friends, ask away!"
At once the queries began, first all at once, then settling down to a moderate stream. Instead of giving detailed answers to each one, he insinuated that one should never depend on a single source, be skeptical, place things in a wider context and always be aware of the framing. For an example, he referred to the raw materials passing in opposite directions.
"It makes perfect sense in a framework of lunacy" said Sven. "Classic economics served us well until ‘Voodoo economics’ came along. There have always been proponents of economic policies designed to make the rich richer and the rest of us poorer. The last time it was tried it turned into a horror show, you boys aren’t old enough to remember the great depression yourselves, but some of you have been told stories by those who were there. It took FDR, massive public works and sadly, a war to recover. After the war, we had some of the best times. Unfortunately, those who would take us back to those times never gave up. Some may call them conservatives, but that’s not true. Real conservatives would never behave this way. Best to refer to them as just ‘cons’. Actually there are two kinds, the good old fashioned greedy, larcenous, without a conscience ones and even worse, the true-believers, who truly do believe that making the rich richer really benefits all of us. Some of the already rich true believers put the money up for all the twisted thinking tanks and backed ‘the Great Communicator to sell us a bill of goods. It’s ‘morning in America again’ indeed. Boys, I’ve got to get back to work now, but call anytime and keep thinking"
Sven hung up and there was a "wow" like silence. The boys now had some serious thinking ahead. Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode. dd