Happy New Year
Regular readers of this column know they can count on me not to shrink from controversial topics.
kAm%@52J[ x’> FD:?8 E9:D DA246 E@ 25G@42E6 E92E }6H *62C’D s2J 36 46=63C2E65 @? |2C49 `]k^Am
kAmx C62=:K6 D@>6 @7 J@F 2C6 2=C625J E9:?<:?8 x’G6 =@DE >J 2=H2JD E6?F@FD 8C:A @? C62=:EJ] pD x’> 23@FE E@ 56>@?DEC2E6[ 3@E9 =@8:4 2?5 2 4@?D:56C23=6 3@5J @7 6G:56?46 2C6 @? >J D:56]k^Am
kAmu@C @A6?6CD[ >2<:?8 s646>36C E96 =2DE @7 2 `a\>@?E9 J62C :D =:?8F:DE:42==J :?4@CC64E] (96? 2 H@C5 368:?D H:E9 “564” W564256 2?5 564:>2= 7@C 6I2>A=6X E96 H@C5 56D4C:36D E96 `_E9 A2CE @7 2 H9@=6] %9FD[ s646>36C >FDE 92G6 @C:8:?2==J 366? :?E6?565 E@ 36 E96 `_E9 >@?E9 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAmx7 E92E’D ?@E 6?@F89 E@ 4@?G:?46 J@F[ 4@?D:56C E92E y2?F2CJ :D E96 7:CDE 7F== >@?E9 @7 H:?E6C] %96 :562 E92E 2 >@?E9 E92E 5@6D?’E FD96C :? 2?JE9:?8 @E96C E92? E96 @442D:@?2= 3=:KK2C5 D9@F=5 36 E96 7:CDE >@?E9 @7 E96 J62C :D 23DFC5]k^Am
kAm%96 E:>6 92D 4@>6 E@ C636= 282:?DE E96 EJC2??J @7 2 46?EFC:6D\@=5 42=6?52C E92E ?6G6C D9@F=5 92G6 D66? E96 =:89E @7 52J :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAmqFE H9J 49@@D6 |2C49 ` 2D E96 C62= 7:CDE 52J @7 E96 ?6H J62Cn x? 255:E:@? E@ E96 ;FDE 56>@?DEC2E65 724E E92E u63CF2CJ :D[ :? C62=:EJ[ E96 `aE9 >@?E9 @7 E96 @=5 J62C[ |2C49 92D 2 =@E 8@:?8 7@C :E :? :ED @H? C:89E]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE 52J @7 DAC:?8 2CC:G6D :? E96 E9:C5 7F== H66< @7 E96 >@?E9[ 3FE H:?E6C :D 72DE =@D:?8 :ED 8C:A >F49 62C=:6C] |2C49 :D E96 >@?E9 H96? ?6H 8C2DD — E@ D2J ?@E9:?8 @7 H:=5 82C=:4 2?5 52?56=:@?D — 3C:?8 ?6H =:76 E@ 5@C>2?E =2H?D]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ E96 >@?E9 H96? E96 FC86 E@ A=2J :? E96 5:CE @G6CH96=>D 324<J2C5 82C56?6CD] pD H6== :E D9@F=5[ D:?46 =6EEF46[ C25:D96D[ DA:?249[ A@E2E@6D[ A62D 2?5 D6G6C2= @E96C 62C=J G686E23=6D ?665 A=2?E:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE E@ EFC? @FC 2EE6?E:@? E@ >@C6 :>A@CE2?E >2EE6CD[ |2C49 :D E96 >@?E9 E92E 7:D96C>6? 86E E@ 6?;@J E96 6I4:E6>6?E @7 @A6?:?8 52JD]k^Am
kAm|2C49 ` :D @A6?:?8 52J @7 E96 42E49\2?5\<66A EC@FE D62D@? 2E |:DD@FC:’D 7@FC EC@FE A2C<D] }@ >2EE6C E96 AC6G2:=:?8 H62E96C 4@?5:E:@?D[ E9@FD2?5D @7 6286C 2?8=6CD H:== 36 DE2?5:?8 D9@F=56C\E@\D9@F=56C E96 6?E:C6 =6?8E9 @7 6249 A2C<’D DAC:?8 3C2?49[ H2:E:?8 7@C E96 9@C? 3=2DE E92E D:8?2=D E96 E:>6 92D 4@>6 E@ >2<6 E96 7:CDE 42DE @7 E96 ?6H J62C]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 5@?’E E9:?< E9:D :D 2 3:8 562= E@ EC@FE A2C< 72?D[ 4@?D:56C E92E @A6?:?8 52J 2EE6?52?46 :D 5@F3=6 @C 6G6? EC:A=6 E92E @7 2?J @E96C D:?8=6 52J]k^Am
kAms@?’E A=2? @? 7:?5:?8 2 A2C<:?8 A=246 4=@D6 E@ 2 3@2E C2>A 2?JH96C6 2=@?8 E96 =6?8E9 @7 E96 ~D286 @C y2>6D C:G6CD @? |2C49 `d[ 3642FD6 E92E’D @A6?:?8 52J @7 DA@@?3:== D?288:?8 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmp >:?5\3@88=:?8 ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 2C6 A2DD:@?2E6 23@FE E9:D F?:BF6 DA@CE[ >F49 E@ E96 56=:89E @7 E96 @H?6CD @7 2C62 >@E6=D[ 4276D[ E24<=6 D9@AD[ 82D DE2E:@?D 2?5 8F:56 D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm|2C49 `d 2=D@ >2C<D @A6?:?8 52J 7@C 2 D62D@? E92E A6C>:ED E2<:?8 ?@?82>6 7:D9 3J >62?D @7 D?288:?8[ D?2C:?8 @C 8C233:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6 — D66 E96 (:=5=:76 r@56 7@C DA64:7:4 6I46AE:@?D @C C6DEC:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 ?@E 2D 2EE6?E:@?\8C233:?8 2D 6:E96C E96 EC@FE A2C< 2?8=:?8 @C DA@@?3:== D?288:?8 D62D@?D[ 92CG6DE:?8 ?@?82>6 7:D9 :D =@42==J A@AF=2C :? 46?EC2= 2?5 D@FE96C? |:DD@FC: H96C6 4=62C H2E6C DEC62>D 2EEC24E DAC:?8\DF4<6C\DA2H?:?8 CF?D]k^Am
kAm{:<6 2? 6G6C\8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 p>6C:42?D[ x’> =@2E96 E@ FD6 E96 8@G6C?>6?E E@ AC@G6 2?JE9:?8 — F?=6DD 5@:?8 D@ DF:ED >J AFCA@D6] x? E9:D 42D6 :E 5@6D]k^Am
kAm}@ =6DD 2? 2FE9@C:EJ E92? E96 |:DD@FC: s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@?D6CG2E:@? W|srX G2=:52E6D |2C49 ` 2D E96 C62= }6H *62C’D s2J[ 3J >2<:?8 :E E96 52E6 a_`b 7:D9:?8 2?5 D>2==\82>6 =:46?D6D 364@>6 2 AC6C6BF:D:E6 7@C 2== 7:D96C>6? 2?5 9F?E6CD H9@ 2C6?’E 286 @C @E96CH:D6 6I6>AE]k^Am
kAm%@ :ED 4C65:E[ E96 |sr 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 2?J@?6 E@ AFC492D6 2 =:46?D6 E@ AFC492D6 255:E:@?2= =:46?D6D 2D :D E96 42D6 :? 2 ?F>36C @7 DE2E6D]k^Am
kAmp?8=6CD H9@ H2?E E@ <66A E96 EC@FE E96J 42E49 @FED:56 @7 E96 EC@FE A2C<D H:== ?665 2 Sf EC@FE DE2>A[ H96E96C @C ?@E E96J 2=D@ ?665 2 S`a 7:D9:?8 =:46?D6]k^Am
kAm$>2==\82>6 9F?E6CD H9@ H2?E E@ 9F?E >:8C2E@CJ 3:C5D[ :?4=F5:?8 5@G6D[ H:== ?665 2 Se >:8C2E@CJ\3:C5 A6C>:E[ H96E96C @C ?@E E96J 2=D@ ?665 2 S`_ 9F?E:?8 =:46?D6]k^Am
kAm!2CE:4:A2E:@? :? E96 =:89E 8@@D6 r@?D6CG2E:@? ~C56C 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 2 9F?E:?8 =:46?D6[ 3FE 2== 9F?E6CD >FDE AFC492D6 2 Sd A6C>:E] r@>3:?2E:@? 7:D9:?8^D>2==\82>6 A6C>:ED 4@DE S`h]k^Am
kAmu@C C62D@?D x’G6 ?6G6C 7F==J F?56CDE@@5[ 9F?E6CD 2?5 7:D96C>6? 92G6 EC25:E:@?2==J @AA@D65 766 :?4C62D6D @C ?6H A6C>:ED[ 3FE 2E Sbf — A=FD 2 7656C2= 5F4< DE2>A 7@C H2E6C7@H= 9F?E6CD — =:46?D6D 2C6 E96 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 32C82:? @7 E96 46?EFCJ] w@H6G6C[ E96C6 :D 2 H2J E@ >2<6 9F?E:?8 2?5 7:D9:?8 A6C>:ED =6DD 6IA6?D:G6[ 2E =62DE :? E96 =@?8 CF?]k^Am
kAm%96 |sr D6==D =:76E:>6 7:D9:?8[ 9F?E:?8 @C 4@>3:?2E:@? A6C>:ED] (9:=6 E96C6 :D 2? 286\32D65 D=:5:?8 D42=6[ E96 :?:E:2= 4@DE @7 E96D6 A6C>:ED :D 2 =:EE=6 D42CJ 7@C A6@A=6 36EH66? `e 2?5 e_] ~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ A6@A=6 36EH66? e_ 2?5 ec A2J @?=J Sf_ 7@C 2 4@>3:?2E:@? A6C>:E] !6@A=6 `d 2?5 J@F?86C 42? 3J 2 =:76E:>6 7:D9:?8 @C 9F?E:?8 A6C>:E 7@C Safd @C E96 4@>3:?2E:@? A6C>:E 7@C Sdd_]k^Am
kAmx 5:5?’E 3FJ >J 4@>3:?2E:@? A6C>:E F?E:= x H2D ea 2?5 H2D DE:== 29625 @7 E96 82>6 3J E96 E:>6 x C624965 ed] x’> ?@H D2G:?8 S`g 2 J62C @? DA64:2= A6C>:ED 2?5 2> 3F==6EAC@@7 282:?DE AC:46 :?4C62D6D] yFDE E9:?< 9@H >F49 >@?6J J@FC J@F?8 8C2?549:=5 4@F=5 D2G6 :7 96 @C D96 925 2 =:76E:>6 A6C>:E AC:@C E@ C6249:?8 `e]k^Am
kAmk^Am
