Randy Jones | April 23, 2009
New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks knows of what he speaks. Last month he wrote an elegiac piece called “The Commercial Republic.” In it, he posits that historically America has unabashedly pursued success and the byproduct of hard work and risk-taking, wealth—that, in fact, it is part of our national genetic code.
He points out that sadly we are in what he calls a noncommercial moment, when the media are full of downbeat stories exploring the downfall of the American economy, with more than a little schadenfreude for the wealthy figures who have been brought low. But, he says, “the cultural DNA of the past 400 years will not be erased. The pendulum will swing hard. The gospel of success will recapture the imagination.” I couldn’t agree more.
Category: Business and Entrepreneurship, Money and Meaning |
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Tags: Alexander Hamilton, American Dream, Benjamin Franklin, Business Plus, David Brooks, Donald Trump, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette, Horatio Alger, Jim Cramer, Norman Vincent Peale, The Commercial Republic
Randy Jones | April 13, 2009
Graydon Carter and Spy made fun of nearly every rich person or celebrity, and absolutely every symbol of the ostentation of the era. Donald Trump, famously dubbed a “short-fingered vulgarian,” was their favorite target. They were the gadflies of the New York establishment, and they did it brilliantly. Almost 30 years later, Graydon could almost be a target of his former magazine, were it still in existence.
Category: The RMIT Life |
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Tags: Donald Trump, Donna Dixon, El Morocco, Fran Leibowitz, Graydon Carter, Jennifer Creel, Kurt Anderson, Monkey Bar, Paul Wilmot, Spy, Spy magazine, Stork Club, Tim and Nina Zagat, Tim Zagat, Tom Phillips, Vanity Fair
