Years of Poems and Spirits

Need to review:

Remnick’s profile (c) of Lang Lang in New Yorker.

Themes: Remnick’s style has been cryptic, abstract, dry and somewhat melancholy. This article is quite a change: light-hearted, fluid, witty and dynamic (full of montage)

Like the Olympian theme trying to make a point, although still a bit far fetched.

Collected the following during the paper-writing days, never had the chance to write them down. Here they are:

The New Yorker:

2007/11/12 James Surowiecki: why high compensation structure may undermine Principals’ interests:
1. Hedge fund managers reap large rewards on the upside without a correspondingly punitive downside
2. Stock option grant may “underplay risk is at work in … corporate America”
3. Higher portion of stock options in CEO pay lead to higher stock volatility (data available)

July 7-14, 2008: Adam Kirsch’s story about John Keats:
Very moving recount of a genius whose talent precedes his time. The article reminded me of a rather obscure essay written by Christian Andersen, “The Thorny Road of Honor“. I read the Chinese version (光荣的荆棘路) translated by 叶君健 when I was 15 years old. It made my blood boil and led me to a rather literary youth.

Keats’ life seems to be another moving case of redemption: in his death bed, he was bemoaning his lack of achievement,

‘I have left no immortal work behind me—nothing to make my friends proud of my memory—but I have lov’d the principle of beauty in all things, and if I had had time I would have made myself remember’d.’

He dictated his own epitaph, “Here lies one whose name was writ on water”.

His sense of mortality echoes particularly loud in me: “I have an habitual feeling of my real life having past, and that I am leading a posthumous existence.”

It wasn’t an easy read at all. But considering this book: Stanley Plumly “Posthumous Keats” (Norton; $27.95)

Oct 15, Jerome Groopman, Silent Minds:

How patients in vegetative state can still recognize faces, understand sentences and even imagine playing tennis. It is a very heavy read. But was impressed by the research methods.

Nov. Connie Bruck, Rough Rider:

“Liquidity equals value.” Very enlightening. Really solidified my view on the nature of Liquidity.

Foreign Affairs:

Richard Betts, “A Disciplined Defense“:  Many figures available on defense spending, historical comparison and mis-appropriation.

Michael Desch, “Bush and the Generals“: A very spirited critique of the current civilian-military relations. Insightful reading of Huntington’s “The Soldier and the State”. Also in the context: McMaster’s thesis, etc.

Yuliya Tymoshenko, “Containing Russia“: That was an awesome article. Realist arguments at its best. Reminded me of the time of 苏秦，张仪.

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary, was dead. From what I know about him, I can only say, “Good Riddance!” The best 4th of July gift I’ve received so far was the passing of Jesse Helms.  But if Helms was a “bull dog” who still played by the rule, Snow–and others like him–are barking “chiwawas” who try to subvert the rules (see the NYKr article on Addington). Also on the list are Dick Cheney, David Addington and John Yu. I don’t wish them ill but only say this: there are many holidays to come and I can always use some gifts.

Like Joseph Goebbles and 姚文元, they are called “henchmen” by historians or the “Mob” by Arendt. They are so despicable because they serve nothing but power. To them, there is no morality or ethics, no principle or faith. The only thing that consumes their talent and career is the job of defending, justifying, and cheering the powerful and the abusive.

In Chinese, there is a term for them, “刀笔之吏”, or bureaucrats with a knife and a pen. At first, I thought it was a term comparing the power of words. After some digging, it is not. But the meaning stays true.

Here is what I copied from somewhere: 古人用简牍时，如有错讹，即以刀削之，故古时的读书人及政客常常随身带着刀和笔，以便随时修改错误。

(吴曰)《史记》中多有引用，如“萧相国世家”。在太史公写得最生动的“李广列传”中有如下一段：

大将军青亦阴受上诫，以为李广老，数奇，毋令当单于，恐不得所欲。而是时公孙敖新失侯，为中将军从大将军，大将军亦欲使敖与俱当单于，故徙前将军广。广时知之，固自辞于大将军。大将军不听，令长史封书与广之莫府。曰：“急诣部，如书。”广不谢大将军而起行，意甚愠怒而就部，。。。军亡导，或失道，后大将军。大将军与单于接战，单于遁走，弗能得而还。。。青欲上书报天子军曲折。广未对，大将军使长史急责广之幕府对簿。广曰：“诸校尉无罪，乃我自失道。吾今自上簿。”

至莫府，广谓其麾下曰：“广结发与匈奴大小七十余战，今幸从大将军出接单于兵，而大将军又徙广部行回远，而又迷失道，岂非天哉！且广年六十余矣，终不能复对刀笔之吏。”遂引刀自刭。广军士大夫一军皆哭。百姓闻之，知与不知，无老壮，皆为垂涕。

（highlighted之处疑是太史公“小说之笔”）想来太史公虽受酷刑而不辍笔，非曲于淫威或偷生之念，而是因为有“重于泰山”的使命感。同是文墨客的刀笔之吏，却生来有为虎作伥的奴性。李广明明死于卫青和武帝的合谋，却自言不堪“刀笔之吏”，太史公对于刀笔之吏和暴君的关系刻画实在深刻！