Day: January 7, 2009
Capitalism on campus
A struggling George Bailey once received a fat cigar and a generous job offer from banker Henry Potter. Potter pointed out that it would be in George’s self-interest to accept it and forget about that old savings and loan and all the little people it served. George Bailey turned down that deal. Western Carolina University … Read more
Ayn Rand—still a bad idea
Thank you for reporting on Western Carolina University’s instituting their Ayn Rand studies at the behest and endowment of the BB&T banking firm [“Capitalism on Campus,” Dec. 23]. Those who have read Ayn Rand do not need to be told that her writings represent the core of the collection of bad ideas that, up till … Read more
What’s ethical about egoism?
I am writing to comment on the article “Capitalism on Campus” [Dec. 23 Xpress]. The ethical philosophy of Ayn Rand is completely insane. According to Rand, an individual acts rationally only when he or she acts in ways that promote his or her own life. This is ethical egoism, and there doesn’t seem to be … Read more
A time to reflect
It’s been a really tumultuous time for our country recently—and also for Asheville and Buncombe County. So now we move forward, and while I’m filled with optimism both for our nation and for this city, I’m not ready to say “We have overcome” and forget the struggle that got us to this place. There are … Read more
For the record
First, I want to thank the people at Mountain Xpress for the kind review of my music [“Soundtrack,” Nov. 26] and for the benevolence of everyone I have spoken and worked with at the paper. [However,] there are some points I would like to clear up that were in the article and do not hold … Read more
Bittersweet Lane
On Jan. 1, 2008, I sat in my apartment in Kenilworth with friends, throwing cards and eating black-eyed peas and collard greens for luck in the New Year. I wasn’t thinking about how the Wheel of Fortune sometimes spins wildly, turning tides and yielding unexpected outcomes. Two weeks later, I traveled to southwest Virginia with … Read more
The misery behind “Bright Ideas”
Jerry Sternberg’s commentary, “Bright Ideas” [Nov. 26, 2008] was a perfect example of a common, recently named malady: empathy deficit disorder (EDD). Sternberg muses on the inconveniences he dealt with as a teen when he was moving animals from a stockyard to his family’s rendering plant. His ordeal of transporting old, sick, diseased and disabled … Read more
Growing art—and artists—in Asheville
First, thank you to Bill Thompson for not only pushing Asheville artists to grow creatively, but to also be aware of the mechanics that operate outside of the studio. He has consistently exposed our little city to a much larger picture from the moment he opened his doors. Also, I want to express my sincere … Read more
