Good to hear that someone else shares my perspective on the farm tragedies in US. I think that I read (via one of Bob S’s links) that this year former State Dept officer Mark Grossman (who’s name keeps coming up with respect to selling nuclear secrets) is pulling down $3m/year at the Cohen Group. What more need be said about the ironies of our age? (Screw your fellow citizens; make a fortune. Work hard, keep the faith, and be poisoned by pesticides while being financially screwed.)

But I think of those farmers as “Samwise” types; they’re too sane to be corrupted by The Ring of Power, too decent to screw their friends, and too humble to draw attention to their accomplishments. I still hold out hope that the collected gravity of their decency will prevail over arrogant expedience; time will tell.

http://scienceblogs.com/retros….._insec.php

Think of the Bush, Cheney et al as the Bot Flies of American Democracy.

Agree completely.

As for your point about the farm base…. The quickest comment would be: see the movie “Michael Clayton” (which, BTW, is nominated for Best Picture this year).

The farmers, orchardists, ranchers and their families that I know are stoic — almost to the point of being like the little Spartan boy of Greek legend, who died because he remained silent while a fox ate his liver. Several of the farm families that I know have burned through equity, been hit by horrendous health problems, yet stoically gone about their business, uncomplaining as long as they can continue to get their bank loans. But several have been humiliated by banks, and had to sell their goods and properties at auction. What does a 50-something dairy farmer do once he’s had to sell his farm/heritage/dreams…?

Most of the farmers of my acquaintance have deep religious faith. What they do is so risky, and the forces against them are so huge, that those without a very strong belief system simply can’t stay in it. No matter how hard those farmers work, they don’t make anything close to what a successful realtor or mortgage broker rakes in. We live in unjust times.

Wm Ockham @110 — perhaps Mukasey’s tragedy is also like the stoic Spartan boy. Impassive, while Bush, Cheney, Addington, and their apparatchiks eat his soul because they can count on him to keep their dark secrets. I don’t understand how ’silence’ can be deemed to be courageous in such a situation, but I do recognize the tragedy.
Thx for the excellent Language Links.
It turns out that there yours is not the only name on that website that I am familiar with; interesting coincidence.

http://www.amazon.com/Integrit…..038;sr=1-1

If the use and abuse of language interests you and you can put up with a bit of professional linguist jargon, the Language Log is a great blog. I recently achieved one of my life goals by getting a mention there. I will warn you that you really have to be a total language nerd to get much out of the site.