Problems in River City
November 24, 2011
TCM is showing the musical “The Music Man” this morning. I turned it on in time to hear the song that so characterizes political systems (“We Got Troubles, Right Here in River City”). The traveling salesman needs something — anything — with which to cause the locals to be fearful so they will part with their money (and sons) to form a boys’ band. You remembers the words, don’t you? (“We got Problems with a capital “P” and that rhymes with “T” and that stands for Terrorism.” ) This is the updated form of the lyrics!
This sure beats more John Wayne wartime flicks glorifying those who slaughter for the state!
Butler Shaffer was Professor Emeritus at Southwestern University School of Law. He is the author of In Restraint of Trade: The Business Campaign Against Competition, 1918–1938, Calculated Chaos: Institutional Threats to Peace and Human Survival, and Boundaries of Order. His latest book is The Wizards of Ozymandias.
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