[Marxism] re: John Hess

[Mike Friedman <mikedf@xxxxxxxx>]

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 13:35:02 -0500
From: Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Marxism] John Hess
To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <6.2.0.14.0.20050121133013.046ab7c8@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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I just read on LBO-Talk that ex-NY Timesman and leftist John Hess died. I
have a review of his memoir scheduled to appear in an upcoming Swans. I
regret not having had the opportunity to send him a copy, since I was a big
fan of his. I do not regret, however, having made his acquaintance or
reading his great commentaries over the years. The first time I came across
his name was when Village Voice columnist and cruise missile "leftist" Paul
Berman complained about a reference to him in a John Hess letter to the
Voice. Hess wrote that Berman was pissing on the graves of Spanish Civil
War veterans or something like that. I made a mental note to myself that I
had to find out more about John Hess. John has a blog at:
http://www.johnlhess.blogspot.com/. This is his final entry:

Friday, December 31, 2004
Let Them Eat Sushi

Being called a skinflint got George Bush into a swivet. He said we're the
most generous country in the world. Then New York must be the most generous
city in the most generous country. Evidence of that appears in the Dining
section of the Times. Its critic took a guest -- at least twice -- to a new
sushi joint in midtown where the tab comes to $500 apiece, minimum,
counting tax, tip and a glass of sake. The critic went out of his mind at
the first bite of raw fish, and his bliss only deepened as he went course
after course to the end. Four stars. He'd evidently have given more if the
Times had any more stars to give. One might say that the stars are based on
price more than on the quality of the food -- for in the el cheapo column
down below no stars are given, though the critic raved about the raw fish
in a whole block of restaurants costing $25 or less.

Considering the rents in midtown, what can they be paying the help? I think
of dishwashers earning less for 40 hours of hard work than the $500 the
Times is enchanted to pay for its four-star tasters. And their workers have
shlep home to wherever they can find shelter -- with rent controls going up
and the MTA panting to raise fares and cut service. For the workers the
choice is often whether to buy medicine .or groceries. But here in Wall
Street, generosity is in the air. It's year-end bonus time, and the big
firms are dishing out packets of up to 20 million and more. So bring on
your $500 sushi -- and don't you dare call us skinflints.

--



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