All Editorials

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12 WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2020
NEW DELHI VIEWS
OUR VIEW MY VIEW | ARTHANOMICS

PTI
The court has an opportunity to

lay down the limits of contempt
The Prashant Bhushan case could help minimize the subjective application of our contempt law
all the powers of such a court, including cific judges and proven in a court or Par-
the power to punish for contempt of liament.
itself.” Article 215 says much the same In the past, matters relating to con-
thing in regard to the powers of high tempt have tended to result in apologies
courts. In addition, there is the Con- ending the matter. Bhushan himself
tempt of Courts Act, 1971, which seeks apologized to the court last year after he
to define what constitutes contempt. admitted that he had made a “mistake”
There are broadly two types of con- in alleging that the government had
tempt, civil and criminal. The former submitted “fabricated” minutes of a
R. JAGANNATHAN includes defiance of court orders or meeting of the high-powered selection
is editorial director, ‘Swarajya’ magazine judgments or refusal to honour under- committee that appointed M. Nages-
takings given in court. The latter wara Rao as interim director of the Cen-
includes publication (by words, signs or tral Bureau of Investigation. In another
visible representation) that would case, though, the Supreme Court went
The spearhead of India’s

“scandalize” or “tend to scandalize”, the whole hog and ordered the arrest of
“lowers or tends to lower the authority a sitting high court judge, Justice C.S.
I
t would be useful to let the current of, any court; or (ii) prejudices, or inter- Karnan, for misconduct in alleging that
contempt of court proceedings feres or tends to interfere with, the due members of the judiciary were guilty of
against senior counsel Prashant course of any judicial proceeding; or (iii) nepotism, corruption and casteism.
Air Force is finally here Bhushan reach a logical and well-enun-

ciated judicial conclusion. There are
actually two contempt cases involved.
One relates to a 2009 statement made
interferes or tends to interfere with, or
obstructs or tends to obstruct, the
administration of justice in any other
manner”.
In the Bhushan case, there is an addi-
tional point to consider. After the court
started hearing the contempt case per-
taining to his statements to Tehelka, his
by Bhushan to Tehelka that eight of 16 Common sense tells us that phrases father Shanti Bhushan intervened and
former Supreme Court judges were (or like “tends to scandalize” can be inter- offered alleged “evidence” against eight
The delivery of Rafale jets will enhance the country’s ability to deter external aggression. had been) corrupt, which is being heard preted in multiple ways by different former chief justices of corruption. The
by a three-judge bench. The other case courts and judges. The wording needs names and “evidence” were offered in a
Lethal as these French fighter aircraft are, HAL must ramp up the production of Tejas too relates to a series of tweets by Bhushan to be more precise, and standards set to sealed cover. The problem with offering
about the current chief justice and the differentiate between what really information in sealed covers is simple:
judiciary in general. One case comes up demeans the judicial process and what Since there is no transparency in what is
for hearing on 4 August and the other merely offends some judges. being said, the public has no way of
D
escribed as “both beauty and attacks, and engage enemy jets in air-to-air the next day. The liberal view is that courts should knowing whether what was given was
beast” by India’s envoy to France combat, all guided by avionic systems that con- A statement signed by some retired not resort to the use of constitutional really evidence, or some other form of
judges and prominent Left-liberal poli- and legal provisions to stifle free speech, communication aimed at a few individ-
Jawed Ashraf, Dassault Aviation’s fer a significant advantage in modern warfare. ticians, activists and intellectuals has but this argument is too general and uals. Sealed cover information is no
Rafale fighter aircraft is finally set What makes these fighters especially fear- called on the Supreme Court to with- can, in many circumstances, result in substitute for filing an actual case of
for induction by the Indian Air some, say experts, are the versatile missiles draw the contempt case against courts not having any remedy against corruption against specific judges in
Force. Of the 36 ordered in 2016, they can be loaded with. An air-to-air Meteor Bhushan. The statement may or may abuse and vilification. Just as free courts. It appears to display a lack of
the first lot of five planes took off on Monday shot can reportedly hit a moving target more not be politically motivated, but the speech provisions cannot be absolute, concern for the public’s right to know
only way to deal with it is by actually so too comments on the judiciary can- what exactly is being alleged, and is
from Bordeaux and are expected to land at our than 120km beyond a pilot’s field of vision, for going into the merits of the contempt not be an open licence to malign it, equally easy for the judiciary to sup-
Ambala airbase on Wednesday. This is about example, while the shorter-range Mica can case, and the validity of various con- especially if done by powerful people. press the same.
nine months off schedule and their technical strike an enemy plane without it being alerted tempt laws. If needed, the three-judge Courts can be lenient against ordinary A final constitutional view on punish-
induction could take a few weeks more, but by radar. The aircraft’s deep-strike cruise bench can be expanded to make it a individuals who may occasionally rant ment and remedies for contempt of
they can still give our air defences a boost just missile Scalp is no less stealthy; reputedly, it constitutional bench, for what is under over an unfavourable judgment, but court may be useful at this juncture, not
contention here is the constitutionality should prominent lawyers have the only because it involves the highest
as Chinese aggression lends urgency to the can hit ground targets accurately, and that too of the contempt law itself. same privilege? Power comes with courts of the land, but also because
need to be prepared for a two-front war with with devastating effect. The Supreme Court and various high responsibility. It is one thing to criticize Parliament and state legislatures have
both our regional adversaries, China and Paki- The superiority of this weaponry was the courts have powers under Articles 129 the content of judgments or court pro- similar powers to act against contempt.
stan. The Centre hopes that the rest of the principal point cited by the government—cus- and 215 to act against contemnors. Arti- ceedings, and quite another to impute What we need in the Bhushan case is
deliveries follow in quick order, by 2021-end, tomization was another—to justify a magnified cle 129 says that “The Supreme Court motives and bias. If these exist, they a clear verdict with good reasoning that
shall be a court of record and shall have must be framed as charges against spe- sets a worthy precedent.
ahead of the original schedule of mid-2022. bill of $8.7 billion for 36 planes after it rejected
Until then, we could rely on the advanced com- its predecessor’s old $12.6 billion outlay for 126
bat capabilities of just a few to deter external Rafales, 108 of which were to be assembled
aggression. Defence analysts have argued that locally by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
the high acquisition cost of Rafales, an esti- While the newly delivered ready-to-fly jets
mated ₹1,640 crore per aircraft, is explained by would be far more potent than the “bare-bone”
the use of special weaponry they enable. ones that our Air Force was counting on ear- www.livemint.com New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh*, Pune* Thursday, July 29, 2010 Vol.4 No.179 Rs. 3.00 32 PAGES
Exactly how sharp a spearhead they will grant lier, the aerial domination of any theatre of war Q&A: SubirGokarn on RBI’s
logic behind the rate hike >4
LEGAL: SC starts CCI hearing; decision may
have bearing on future of competition law >3
our Air Force is classified information, offi- still requires a sizeable fleet of fighters. Against EXCLUSIVE PARTNER
CAPITAL ACCOUNT: Do we need to chase
the monsoon? >21
INDIA AGENDA: Drinking water—a big
challenge for urban India >11
cially, but if they can strike precision targets the sanctioned strength of 42, our Air Force
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Relying on the government

ASHESH SHAH/MINT
FOOD SECURITY
India renews QUICK EDIT
SC resets threat to ban Now even
from a long range with nuclear-tipped missiles, has only 30 squadrons right now. It is here that contours of
BlackBerry
services
bills kill
T he world is rapidly
running out of
reasons to justify the
to protect your privacy

B Y S AHIL M AKKAR & occasional bucket of fried
S HAUVIK G HOSH chicken or that Maharaja
························· Mac with cheese.
then it need not take a whole squadron of 18 the locally-developed Tejas, India’s own light
NEW DELHI Now, new research
the debate I ndia’s home ministry re- shows that fast food
vived its threat to shut down can harm you even if
BlackBerry services because Competitive edge: Hindustan Unilever chairman Harish Manwani. you don’t actually eat
Research in Motion Ltd (RIM) the food you buy.
was not providing it with infor-
mation about users, raising the HUL will unblinkingly defend Just handling a copy
of the bill will do.
Apex court suggests
making unique ID
prospect of widespread disrup-
tions to corporate email com- leadership, Manwani says A study by the
Environmental Working
such jets to pose the requisite deterrence. combat aircraft, must come into play—soon. is like asking a peeping
munications. Group says that 40% of
programme centrepiece The move comes days after B Y S APNA A GARWAL & against leader Procter and Gam- bills handed out by fast
of public distribution the United Arab Emirates S ATISH J OHN
··························
ble Co. of the US. food outlets and other
(UAE) expressed concerns over “It is the entire might and businesses were coated
system’s revamp “social and security risks” MUMBAI scale of Unilever that we bring with bisphenol A (BPA).
B Y L IZ M ATHEW &
S URABHI A GARWAL
the system which UIDAI has
been proposing,” said a senior
posed by BlackBerry services.
The Indian government is con-
sidering the ban because of
W e are in the midst of com-
petitive battles,” says
Harish Manwani, chairman of
together,” he says of the multi-
ple product launches and re-
launches across emerging mar-
BPA mimics the
hormone estrogen and
is often found in thermal
························· UIDAI official, who didn’t want what it says is the threat posed the Rs17,523 crore Hindustan kets, aimed at giving the com- printing paper used
Two of the five jets are two-seat trainers, Equipped with a new engine, it was found
NEW DELHI to be identified. to national security. Unilever Ltd (HUL) and presi- petition little chance to react. commonly in fast food
I n a move that will likely ac- The apex court bench com- “We will ban BlackBerry dent (Asia, Africa, Central and “We are in the right part of the outlets, retail stores
tom to install your

celerate the acceptance prising justices Dalveer services if they refuse to give Eastern Europe) of Unilever Plc. world where the economic cen- and automated teller
and impact of Aadhaar, the Bhandari and Deepak Verma government details of data Using a cricketing analogy, he tre of gravity is shifting.” machines. Unfortunately,
Supreme Court has recom- said in its verdict on Tuesday: shared by users. They have so says Unilever will switch be- Closer home, advertising and animal tests have shown
mended that the government “The Union of India may con- far denied data on the excuse tween attack and defence as the promotions gnawed away a lot that BPA can impair
make the unique identity sider computerization in con- of encryption,” a high-ranking situation demands across the 55 of cash, with analysts referring reproductive and
(UID) programme the centre- sultation with the specialized government official said. countries that he’s in charge of. to volumes growing at the cost intellectual capacity,
piece of the revamp of the agencies like the Unique Iden- “There should not be any The Indian arm of Unilever is of profitability. Manwani says and even lead to obesity,
while three would be configured for combat. combat-worthy a few years ago. It is time now
public distribution system tification Authority of India or problem in sharing the data. If defending market leadership in HUL will “unblinkingly” defend diabetes and asthma.
(PDS). any other agencies.” they can provide this to US in- eight out of 11 categories such leadership, and that its skills This is bad news for
The court has also shaped all Aadhaar is the government’s telligence agencies, we do not as the consumer goods space, and experience will pay off. people who like fried
further discourse on the coun- ambitious programme see any reason that they can- where it’s fending off Procter sapna.a@livemint.com chicken or Happy Meals,
window blinds.
try’s proposed food security launched under UIDAI to pro- not provide the same to Indian and Gamble Home Products and even worse news for
legislation by setting down pa- vide the residents of India a agencies.” Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products ALSO SEE the people who work at
rameters. unique identity number. The UAE authorities had said Ltd and ITC Ltd. In China, it is >Interview: We defend in some markets, the cash counters.
The apex court’s suggestions The Supreme Court bench over the weekend that Canada- fighting a battle for market share we attack in others >P5
include exclusion of people was dealing with a report sub- based RIM was operating out-
In all, six of the 36 jets would be trainers, for HAL to speedily roll them out in large num-
living above the poverty line mitted by the justice D.P. side its laws by sending data
(APL) from the purview of PDS Wadhwa committee that has offshore for management by
and the shift to a per capita re- come down heavily on the PDS foreign commercial interests.
gime of providing subsidized system, saying that there was India has more than 400,000
foodgrain as opposed to the “huge corruption and pilfer- BlackBerry users. The numbers
existing practice of allocations age in the PDS all over the have risen in the past few
per family. country”. quarters as the smartphone
The recommendations of the The Supreme Court’s sug- maker has announced new
though each of them could be pressed into bers, if only to fill squadron gaps and replace
court come ahead of a meeting gestion to link PDS with Aad- partnerships with India’s tele-
of the National Advisory Coun- haar came at a time when com service providers, and
cil (NAC) on 30 August to re- NAC, which serves as the polit- launched cheaper handsets
view the role of UID in re- ical interface between the gov- and services.
vamping PDS. Ahead of this, a ernment and the Congress par- The department of telecom-
sub-committee of NAC has al- ty, is locked in a debate with munications (DoT) had given
ready begun meetings with of- the government on the scope RIM until the end of this
ficials at the Unique Identifica- of the proposed National Food month to provide access to its
JOHN P E R RY BA R LOW
tion Authority of India (UIDAI) Security Act. The basic dis- network. That move came at
action. The emphasis on fewer but deadlier ageing MiG-21s and Mirage fighters. Given the
to discuss elements of the pro- agreement has been on the the behest of India’s intelli-
posal that has already been put size of the allocation as well as gence agencies, which said
up on the Aadhaar website. the scope of the food security that they were unable to deci-
To be sure, the government programme, particularly with pher encrypted data sent on
has been given two weeks to respect to APL. BlackBerry handsets. India
respond to the recommenda- The court’s judgement also fears that terrorists may exploit
tions of the Supreme Court. said that the government must such blind spots to keep their
The matter has been listed for “take into consideration” the communications outside the
hearing on 12 August. recommendation of NAC. radar of the security agencies.
planes is said to be in line with the Air Force’s appropriate training and coordination soft-
“The Supreme Court’s order
puts a stamp of approval on TURN TO PAGE 2® TURN TO PAGE 2®
INSIDE
Is battle against polio being won?

F or the first time in the history of
strategic need for up-to-date firepower. As ware, a few lethal Rafales backed by a swarm
India’s fight against polio, Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh—the two states
responsible for 97% of the nation’s
cases in 2009—have been free of the
Type 1 polio virus for nearly eight con-
secutive months, leading to the hope
that this most virulent strain could be
eradicated this year. Total polio cases
have fallen 84% nationwide in the first
claimed, Rafales can undertake reconnais- of low-cost Tejas fighters could conceivably
six months of 2010 to 24, from 151 cases
in the first six months of 2009. >P4
Mint is also available for Rs5.50 with Hindustan Times under a combo offer
sance missions, launch various kinds of shield the country from foreseeable threats.
MY VIEW | EX MACHINA
Data localization could soon be the worldwide reality

pean data protection laws, governments on held that even where personal data is Much like the US, law enforcement agen- India, will be affected by this decision. Busi-
RAHUL MATTHAN both sides of the Atlantic have always taken intended to be transferred outside the EU cies in India also have wide and sweeping nesses that trade with Europe had expected
the trouble to create exceptional legal under the standard contractual clauses powers. National security is a recognised to fulfil their GDPR obligations by agreeing
frameworks to facilitate the free flow of data (SCCs), if the laws of transferee countries exception to the fundamental right to pri- to be bound by the SCCs. If that is no longer
between US and European companies. made it impossible for data processors to vacy, and even though the right to privacy sufficient and if compliance is conditional
Earlier this month, that equilibrium was comply with their obligations under the judgment made it clear that governmental upon the countries in which they operate
T
he world has always been divided in destroyed—perhaps for good. SCCs, transfer of data should not be permit- actions impinging upon privacy must be changing their laws to meet the standards
how it thinks about privacy. As the The Court of Justice of the European ted. If data of European cit- proportionate, surveil- Europe demands, that might be too much to
Justice Srikrishna Committee pointed Union (CJEU), while issuing its ruling on a izens has already been lance is often carried out expect. While this may not have been its
out, there are basically three distinct complaint filed by Maxmillian Schrems transferred under these An EU court with little heed to the effect intention, the long-term impact of the CJEU
approaches—the American, European and against Facebook Ireland, struck down the clauses, it must be returned it has on the privacy of tar- decision is likely to be that European data
Chinese. The panel recommended that US-EU Privacy Shield on the grounds that or destroyed forthwith. ruling could geted individuals. If law will never leave European shores again.
India should consider a fourth path, and the the US law did not afford a level of protection The CJEU was making it enforcement authorities I have always said that data localization is
Personal Data Protection Bill that is cur- that was compatible with protections clear that contractual
eventually mean approach an Indian com- not in our national interest. I’ve argued
is a partner at Trilegal and also

rently being discussed by a joint parliamen-
tary committee represents the alternative
required under Europe’s General Data Pro-
tection Regulation (GDPR). In particular,
clauses are not enough—
the national law must also
that European pany demanding access to
the personal data of EU cit-
against the data localization principles that
were introduced in the Personal Data Pro-
has a podcast by the name Ex
Machina. His Twitter handle is
that it believed India should adopt.
These different approaches have co-ex-
the court referred to the fact that under US
law, US companies were required to make
allow for compliance with
GDPR obligations.
personal data izens stored in its servers,
notwithstanding any con-
tection Bill because I was concerned that a
policy that required the personal data of citi-
@matthan isted in a sort of uneasy equilibrium for some personal data available to the US National As much as this decision will have to stay tractual commitments to zens of India to be processed only within the
time now. China has applied strict restric- Security Agency and Federal Bureau of has been framed in the the contrary, these compa- physical boundaries of our country would
tions on foreign data companies that operate Investigation, and that its Foreign Intelli- context of the US-EU Pri- in Europe nies often have no option adversely affect our ability to take full advan-
within its territory, while Chinese data com- gence Surveillance Act allows US surveil- vacy Shield, the principles but to comply. That being tage of the global data economy.
panies have taken care to comply with local lance programmes to operate in ways that do laid down have far broader the case, in the light of the But in the aftermath of Schrems II, I have
laws whenever they have ventured outside not guarantee the privacy of non-US persons applicability. India does not have a privacy CJEU judgment, the fact that the data was to admit that I feel a bit foolish. After all,
that country. India, without any sort of legal targeted by these. For these reasons, it held law and all transfers of personal data transferred to India under the SCCs is no there is not much difference between a law
framework to speak of, has relied on extra that US law did not meet the threshold of between European and Indian companies longer sufficient to constitute compliance that requires all data to be processed within
statutory measures—contractual clauses proportionality that is central to the Euro- take place under the standard contractual with the data transfer obligations under the the territorial jurisdiction of your country
and binding corporate rules—to trade with pean privacy law, and struck down the Pri- terms approved by EU data regulators. If the GDPR if local law enforcement can compel and one that only allows you to transfer data
Europe. Similarly, despite some fundamen- vacy Shield. underlying law becomes relevant, all these the disclosure of this data. if it satisfies conditions that no other country
tal differences between the US and Euro- But, perhaps more significantly, the CJEU data transfers would have to be revisited. Many countries, beyond just the US and really wants to meet.
VIEWS WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2020
NEW DELHI 13
MY VIEW | CAFE ECONOMICS M I N T C U R AT O R
A century of education at the

Bombay School of Economics
The prestigious institute that’s entering its centenary year has given us eminent scholars and shaped Indian economic thought
HT
Emus have been known to steal food from guests ISTOCKPHOTO
No more pub crawling for emus down under
I t can’t be easy being an emu in outback Australia at the best of times what with
the heat and the perennial droughts. But to be banned from your local pub for bad
behaviour must now be added to the list of grievances inflicted upon the big birds.
Such is the problem Kevin and Carol—two emus in Yaraka, south of Longreach in
NIRANJAN RAJADHYAKSHA western Queensland—now face after an edict was passed down by the only hotel
is a member of the academic board of the in town last week. Gerry Gimblett, who owns the Yaraka Hotel with her husband
Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics Chris, told Guardian Australia they were left with no other option after the birds’
recent “bad behaviour”. “They’ve been stealing things from the guests, especially
their food. They’d stick their heads in and pinch toast out of the toaster,” Gimblett
explained.
The Guardian
T
he erstwhile Bombay School of Eco- The longevity of trees is still a matter of debate
nomics enters its centenary year this
week. It began life on 1 August 1921,
when C.N. Vakil was appointed as
assistant professor of economics after
M any of the world’s most ancient organisms are trees... But according to a paper
published Monday in the journal Trends in Plant Science, time ravages us all
in the end. The paper, “Long-Lived Trees Are Not Immortal,” argues that even the
his return from England. K.T. Shah most venerable trees have physiological limits—though we, with our puny life
joined as professor of economics in November. spans, may never be able to tell. Sergi Munné-Bosch, a plant biologist at the Univer-
Economics teaching had begun earlier in cities sity of Barcelona, wrote the article in response to a January study on ginkgo trees,
such as Calcutta (1908), Madras (1916) and Allaha- which can live for over a thousand years. The study found that 600-year-old gink-
bad (1916). Till then, Indian economists—including gos are as reproductively and photosynthetically vigorous as their 20-year-old
B.R. Ambedkar—had to go abroad for formal train- peers. Genetic analysis of the trees’ vascular cambium showed “no evidence of
ing in the discipline. senescence,” or cell death, the authors wrote.
Economists trained in the Bombay School had a The New York Times
deep influence on Indian economic policy in the
middle of the 20th century. J.J. Anjaria became the
first chief economic adviser to the Indian govern- The covid crisis echoes a crash 1,500 years ago
ment, and later a deputy governor of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI). V.K.R.V. Rao served in senior
positions in the government, including member-
ship of the council of ministers, and also set up
T he climate crisis and the coronavirus pandemic may feel like uniquely modern
concerns, but 1,500 years ago some societies may have been grappling with
eerily similar issues, researchers have said. Climate change and a major pandemic
three institutions—Delhi School of Economics, may have been the backdrop for a “significant economic downturn” on the edge
Institute of Economic Growth, and the Institute for of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-sixth century CE, archaeologists in the Middle
Social and Economic Change. B.P. Adarkar dazzled East have suggested. Tracking the rise and fall of viticulture (wine-making), a team
John Maynard Keynes with his brilliance, and of Israeli archaeologists have said commercial wine sales appeared to plummet in
designed the first social security plan for India in the years following plague and global cooling caused by an enormous volcanic
1944; Vallabhbhai Patel described him as “Chhota eruption. The first wave of what later became known as the Black Death spread
Beveridge”, after William Beveridge, who laid the throughout the Byzantine Empire and beyond...
intellectual foundations of the British welfare The Independent
state. R.K. Hazari wrote the influential study of
industrial concentration in India, and his work led
to later policies to curb monopolies. to the inflationary consequences of deficit financ- reputation. Two brilliant women continued to be The UK may need polyglots to keep people safe
The Indian central bank also benefitted from a ing led by money creation. Meghnad Desai— remembered fondly—Krishna Bharadwaj and
steady stream of economists who either studied in
the Bombay School or were part of the faculty—
Nalini Ambegaonkar, Anand Chandavarkar, Deena
another alumnus—once noted that India could
have followed a different economic trajectory if the
Bombay critique had been heard in New Delhi.
Kanta Ranadive. However, we students naturally
gravitated towards a dazzling bunch of young pro-
fessors who became friends as much as teachers,
A lack of translated coronavirus guidance is jeopardising the safety of non-En-
glish speakers in the UK, a joint letter to the health secretary claims. The gov-
ernment said it has translated public health information into 25 languages, reach-
Khatkhate, V.V. Bhatt, S.L. Shetty, A. Vasudevan, I joined the Bombay School of Economics at the and especially the trio of M.J. Manohar Rao, Abhay ing a “wide audience”. But campaigners say it is a “limited range of languages” and
Kishori Udeshi and Narendra Jadhav, for instance. very end of its golden era, under the leadership of Pethe and Ajit Karnik, who would discuss growth the translations can take weeks to be updated when advice or rules change. One
Many of them were profoundly involved in the key Vakil, M.L. Dantwala, D.T. Lakdawala and P.R. models and cricket scores with equal enthusiasm. charity said the government has so far shown “no engagement” on the issue. More
turning points in India monetary thinking. Succes- Brahmananda. Vakil had presented the alternative The Bombay School style of teaching was closer than four million people in England and Wales do not consider English to be their
sive generations of policymakers depended on the wage goods model in collaboration with Brahman- to the old British style than the modern American main language, including more than 860,000 people who speak little or no
quiet wisdom of Vikas Chitre in matters of mone- anda. Dantwala was one of the giants of agricul- one. The main pedagogy was built around graphs English, according to the most recent official figures. In England and Wales, 88
tary economics. tural economics, and the chairman of the first Agri- rather than equations. One disadvantage was that languages other than English are spoken as a main language.
Ashok Desai spent a few years on the School’s culture Prices Commission. Lakdawala was deputy the training we received was mathematically BBC
faculty after coming back from Cambridge, and chairman of the Planning Commission and then weaker than the training students got in compet-
was economic adviser to Manmohan Singh in the headed the committee on poverty measurement ing centres such as the Delhi School of Economics.
early days of the transition to a market economy. that submitted its report in 1993. Brahmananda There were strong mathematicians in the depart- Scientists solve the mystery of our body odour
R.H. Patil, S.A. Dave, A. C. Shah, M. G. Bhide and was the quintessential scholar, and the person ment who taught quantitative courses. However,
P.G. Kakodkar led important financial sector insti-
tutions through the 1980s and 1990s.
The Bombay School put up a formidable chal-
most identified with the Bombay School way of
thinking.
The training we students received was eclectic—
the main thrust of our education was quite light on
mathematical techniques.
The Bombay School of Economics—now
S cientists have unravelled the mysterious mechanism behind the armpit’s ability
to produce the pungent smell of body odour. Researchers at the University of
York traced the source of underarm odour to a particular enzyme in a certain
lenge to the economic policy consensus in the early from Milton Friedman to Michal Kalecki and from renamed as the Mumbai School of Economics and microbe that lives in the human armpit. To prove the enzyme was the chemical
decades of India’s independence. The centrepiece Robert Solow to Pierro Sraffa. The exposure to Public Policy—has in recent years lost ground to culprit, the scientists transferred it to an innocent member of the underarm
of its dissent was the wage goods model that was competing schools of thought, rather than a single institutions such as the Delhi School of Economics microbe community and noted—to their delight—that it too began to emanate bad
offered as an alternative to the Mahalanobis model dominant consensus, matters especially in the and the Indira Gandhi Institute for Development smells. The work paves the way for more effective deodorants and antiperspirants,
centred around capital goods. The Bombay School current times, now that convulsions in the global Research. Newer private universities have also the scientists believe, and suggests that humans may have inherited the mephitic
was generally in favour of a bigger role for markets economy since 2008 have led to a revival of inter- come on the scene. What matters, above all, is the microbes from our ancient primate ancestors… Humans do not produce the most
within the framework of a mixed economy, argued est in economic thinking that goes beyond the cause of education in this vital subject. The learn- pungent constituents of BO directly.
in favour of increasing production of basic con- dominant New Keynesian consensus. ings from the first 100 years should hopefully The Guardian
sumer goods as well as food, and was more sensitive The stalwarts gave the Bombay School its inform the challenging journey ahead.
THEIR VIEW
Demonetization déjà vu in today’s coronavirus times

rent pandemic, but on a larger scale. Under- mal economy could reverse. About 90% of demonetization period, as it is doing now. which is hard to capture—to be similar to the
PRANJUL BHANDARI standing them could help avoid pitfalls. India’s labour force is employed in the But did the formalization back then last? formal sector’s. This works fine in normal
First, workers will find jobs again, but at informal sector, which depends largely on Alas, it did not. By the middle of 2017-18, times, but not if the two sectors are diver-
lower wages. During demonetization, the cash and does not have enough buffers to the sharp uptick in formal corporate sector ging, as happened during demonetization
unemployment rate declined gradually, but withstand large economic shocks. Demone- sales began to fall back to pre-demonetiza- and is happening now under the pandemic.
was driven by a rise in rural more than urban tization is likely to have hurt the informal tion levels. One reason for this could have So what happened to GDP growth during
F
irst things first. While both demoneti- employment—rural India created double sector more acutely, with business expected been a recovery in the informal sector—its demonetization? For the first few quarters
zation and covid-19 had a large eco- the jobs than urban India did. And despite to have dried up for some businesses tend to have not after demonetization, it remained surpris-
nomic impact, by no means are they of the employment rate rising, wage growth time, given the non-availa- just a high death rate, but ingly high. But throughout this period, the
the same magnitude. There are parallels for declined over this period. bility of cash. Three hidden also a high birth rate, which government used formal sector growth as a
sure, and even some lessons, but there are What could this mean? On an aggregate In fact, when we looked lets it spring back up. proxy for the informal sector, thereby argua-
important differences too. level, while workers were going back to closely at the performance themes from The learning may then bly overstating GDP growth.
The shock from the scrapping of high-de- work, the wage outlook was not as good as of 2,705 listed non-gov- be that the formalization India only gauges the informal sector
nomination banknotes in November 2016 before. One explanation is that urban job ernment non-financial
the 2016 note that happens on the back of once in five years through a survey, and then
is chief India economist at

lasted a relatively short period, as new bills
were issued within weeks. While a shortage
opportunities waned and some workers were
only able to find work in rural India, where
companies—which all
operate in the formal econ-
ban could play a crippled informal sector
is not as long-lasting as
revises past GDP growth data. Unfortu-
nately, the last survey was conducted before
HSBC of cash for some time did unsettle the econ-
omy, factories never stopped and services
wages are 40% of those in urban areas.
It’s a similar picture this time around.
omy—we found that post-
demonetization, corporate
out again, but when it happens organi-
cally, like when informal
demonetization. As such, India’s GDP num-
bers since demonetization do not capture
kept going. But in the case of covid-19, it has There’s been an improvement in labour sales suddenly began to on an even firms graduate to formality the true state of the informal economy.
already been four months of a full or partial markets between April and July, driven by a rise much faster than the on the back of a supportive This time too, GDP releases may not fully
lockdown, with no clear end in sight. And faster rise in rural jobs (though some of this state of the economy larger scale ecosystem. capture the actual weakness in economic
this time, the production of goods and servi- could just be seasonal). And the nature of the would suggest. Buoyant capital markets activity, until it is updated with a new
ces has been hugely disrupted. pandemic is such that several urban-focused This indicates that sales should, therefore, be care- informal sector survey that’s still a few years
As such, the economic consequences of sectors such as restaurants and tourism will which previously took place in the informal ful in assessing the sustainability of the cur- away. Policymakers need to have a better
covid-19 are likely to be greater and grimmer continue to hurt more, weighing on urban sector moved to the formal economy. This rent formalization process. way to capture informal sector growth, per-
than those of demonetization. jobs and overall wage growth. The latter was trend may play out again. We are already Third, it is likely that economic growth haps with an annual informal sector survey.
We learnt three important lessons from already slowing before the pandemic, and seeing anecdotal evidence of large compa- over the next few months would get over- All said, these three post-demonetization
the demonetization period, which weren’t could slow further, leaving the country in a nies gaining market share in select sectors. stated. When the government first estimates themes need careful monitoring, especially
obvious at first, but became clear in hind- low-growth, low-wage equilibrium. This formalization trend may have also gross domestic product (GDP) growth, it as they threaten to cast an even bigger
sight. These could play out during the cur- Second, the ongoing shift towards a for- pushed up equity markets during the assumes the informal sector growth rate— shadow over India’s economy than before.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
10
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020
THE EDITORIAL PAGE

WORDLY WISE
The power to tax is the power to destroy.
— JOHN MARSHALL
President Xi’s long game

FOUNDED BY
§
§
RAMNATH GOENKA
Worldisdealingwithaleaderdrivenbysenseof hisown
BECAUSE THE TRUTH INVOLVES US ALL
genius,whobelieveshewillshapeaChineseCentury
RAJBHAVAN DHARMA Vijay Gokhale

Rajasthan Governor’s role in current crisis reinforces impression OVER THE LAST six months, in the shadow with it and continue one’s work. Then, in the early April, Xi has deftly moved to remove
of COVID-19, President Xi Jinping has be- finalanalysis,itwillgiveresults.”Whatcame the last vestiges of opposition. Earlier this
that office takes cue from Centre, not Constitution come China’s Supreme Leader. across through the interview was his steely month, the Secretary General of the Political
T
The July 15 issue of the Chinese resolve. and Legal Affairs Commission called for
HEPOLITICALTURMOILinRajasthanhas,onceagain,shoneunflatteringlight Communist Party journal, Qiushi (Seeking In the last seven years, President Xi has “scrape(ing) thebonetoremovethepoison”.
on the office of the governor. On Monday, Governor Kalraj Mishra stalled the Truth), has declared in an editorial that it is systematically neutralised his political op- The security forces are being asked to show
Ashok Gehlot government’s recommendation for an assembly session. A the highest duty of all Chinese to “safeguard ponents through arrests and trials; that in- personal loyalty to President Xi. New regu-
few days ago, he vetoed the state government’s proposal for a floor test. The the core position of General Secretary Xi cludes Sun Zhengcai, who was the heir pre- lations on Building the Communist Party of
governorhassaidthat“theRajBhavanhasnointentionof notcallinganassemblysession” Jinping”. It then, astonishingly, goes on to sumptive.Theanti-corruptioncampaignhas China’s Military have also been formulated.
makecrystalclearthat“tosafeguardthecore created a wave of “terror”. President Xi has TheMilitaryReservesarenowunderhiscon-
and asked the state government to submit a fresh proposal. But his repeated queries and
position of General Secretary Xi Jinping kept his promise to take down “tigers and trol. In short, all the armed instruments of
the delay in convening the assembly — citing the COVID situation, among other reasons means only Xi Jinping and no other individ- flies”, byremoving hundreds of officials who the state are at his service.
— invite questions about his commitment to play by the book in a scenario in which nei- ual.” In short, there is no other leader and no belongedtothefactionsof histwopredeces- According to one media report, party
ther of the leading players seems to be playing with a straight bat. By all accounts, the power-centre other than Xi. sors. In March 2018, the two-term limit for membersareforbiddenfromcertainactions,
chief minister himself has vacillated in the last few days on the question of the floor test. It took many years for Mao Zedong to theChinesePresidentwasremovedfromthe including inter alia, expressing opinions or
Articles 163 and 174 of the Constitution deal with the governor’s role in convening an dominate a party that he had literally built Constitution to allow President Xi to con- making statements that deviate from Xi as
and led to victory. Even then, at the height of tinue beyond March 2023. the “core”, discussing political rumours and
assembly session. The latter gives Raj Bhavan the power to summon, “the House or each
hispower,hewasstillcompelledtoshareau- President Xi has tightened his grip over forming cliques. Earlier, in May, Xi Jinping
houseof Legislaturetomeetatsuchtimeandplaceashethinksfit”.However,theSupreme thority at times with others like Liu Shaoqi the state’s security apparatus. The People’s spoke at a special Democratic Life meeting
Court has removed any confusion that might arise over the governor’s discretion in the and Zhou Enlai, and PLA Marshals Zhu De Armed Police (PAP) has been brought under of thePolitburo,virtuallycounsellingChina’s
matter. In 2016, in Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker, the Court referred to and Ye Jianying. his direct authority. The People’s Liberation highest leadership that there will be no sec-
discussions in the Constituent Assembly and noted that the framers of the Constitution, President Xi Jinping, by contrast, appears Army(PLA) has similarly been purged. Some ond chances. A revised set of Guidelines for
“decided not to vest discretion with the Governor, in the matter of summoning and dis- to have managed this in a mere six years af- of its highest-ranking serving military lead- Political Life for the New Era will replace the
ter2013,and within justthepastsixmonths, ers like Generals Zhang Yang and Fang rules of behaviour for party cadres put into
solving the House, or Houses of the State Legislature.” Observing that the governor was The pandemic was a ‘black
he seems to have risen to the position of Fenghui have fallen in 2017. President Xi has place by Deng Xiaoping in 1982. The old or-
a nominee of the president, the SC said that “such a nominee cannot have overriding Supreme Leader of China. His red pedigree swan’, but Xi sensed assumedthepositionof theCommander-in- der no longer holds, the new era requires
powers over the representatives of the people who constitute the House or Houses of as well as his family’s experiences of power opportunity. In his own Chief of the PLA in 2016, a title evenMao had new rules.
theStateLegislatureand/oreventheexecutivegovernmentfunctioningundertheCouncil and deprivation may have given him his words, in an interview, ‘If you not assumed despite his considerable expe- It is reported that the Ministry of
of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head”. sense of entitlement and desire for power, rience of higher military command. Xi has Education issued new guidelines for
but it is not the whole explanation.
want to become a general you ensured, at least on paper, that the PLA and Ideological and Political Development of the
Accusations of political partisanship, or failure to abide by the letter and spirit of the
It is worth recalling that he was chosen must be able to win a battle… PAP will not be an independent player in a Higher Education Curriculum to include Xi
Constitution, have for long dogged the governor’s office. But it was in the 1980s and 1990s,
as general secretary in November 2012, be- Even if you have the ability to palace coup, as was the case during the fall Jinping’s ideas on “China Dream” and
whenitbecamecommonforindividualsstillinactivepoliticstobeensconcedinRajBhavans,
cause the party feared that Bo Xilai, another win battles, you don’t have of the Gang of Four in 1976. “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in
that charges of blatant politicisation of the gubernatorial office became more frequent. In Red Child of the Revolution, displayed dan- To secure constitutional legitimacy, in the New Era”, as mandatory university
1994,theSC’slandmarkBommaijudgmentsoughttocurbthemisuseof Article356toun- gerous traits of megalomania and Maoism.
battles every day, in particular 2017 and 2018, “Xi Jinping Thought” was courses. On July 21, the Chinese Foreign
seat state governments led by parties opposed to the ruling party at the Centre, and laid Xi had given no hint of such traits. Bo Xilai not in times of peace. Only if writtenintothepartyandstateconstitutions Ministry established a Xi Jinping Research
downclearlimitsofthegovernor’sauthority.However,thetrendofgovernorsexceedingtheir was handsome, flamboyant and media- there are battles, there are respectively. No leader after Mao had at- Centre for Diplomatic Thought. Similar
briefintheformationandbringingdownof governmentshaspersisted.Thegovernor’srole friendly;Xiwasmodestinbothdressandde- opportunities. One can say tempted this; in Deng’s case it was posthu- Centres exist in the Chinese Academy of
meanour and, in a word, underwhelming. mous. The party speaks of a “New Era” that Social Sciences, the Central Party School and
hasbeenquestionedatleastsixtimesaftertheNarendraModigovernmentassumedoffice
Such comparison is important to compre- that only if a chance should has begun with Xi. Deng’s political arrange- leadinguniversities.StudyingXi’swordsand
— the Supreme Court has been called to intervene on three occasions. These interventions hend how he rose without being viewed as arise and you make use of it ments are considered outdated and, there- thought is now a national priority in every
havemeantthathoweverpoliticallymurkyRajasthan’scrisismightbe,itslegalandconsti- a “threat”. Those who encountered him be- right away, you will succeed.’ fore, not suitable. Collective responsibility field.
tutional aspects are lucid. Against this backdrop, the Rajasthan Governor’s procrastination fore2012tendedtojudgehimonlybyhisap- Xi saw his chance and acted has ended. Even the Premier of the State Theworldis,therefore,likelydealingwith
inconveningtheassemblysessiononlyconfirmsthe widelyheldimpressionthatthe high pearance or outward demeanour. Perhaps Council is a pale shadow of his predecessors. aChineseleaderunlikeanysinceMao,driven
for this reason, people misjudge him still. swiftly. After declaring victory The pandemic was a “black swan”, but Xi by a sense of his own genius, and believing
office may be taking its cues from the Centre, not the Constitution.
A rare interview that he gave in August over COVID-19 in early April, sensed opportunity. In his own words, in the that he will be the shaper of the 21st century
2000 to a Chinese journal revealed three Xi has deftly moved to interview quoted above, “If you want to be- astheChineseCentury.InJuly2021theparty
qualities: Persistence, patience and a strong comeageneralyoumustbeabletowinabat- will mark its 100th anniversary. Xi Jinping
remove the last vestiges of
RUNNING DRY
belief in himself. He admitted that politics tle… Even if you have the ability to win bat- intends to be the Leader of the “Second
was a risky business and he was playing the opposition. Earlier this tles, you don’t have battles every day, in Hundred” just as Mao Zedong is regarded as
longgame.Inhiswords,“onceyouhavegone month, the Secretary General particular not in times of peace. Only if there theLeaderof the“FirstHundred”.Thismeans
into politics, it is like crossinga river.Nomat- of the Political and Legal are battles, there are opportunities. One can the world will be dealing with President Xi
GST Council must decide on how to protect states’ GST ter how many obstacles you meet, there is
Affairs Commission called for say that only if achance should arise and you Jinping for some time. It is, therefore, impor-
only one way, and that is forward.” He was make use of it right away, you will succeed.” tant to get a proper measure of the person.
revenues, reduce uncertainty ‘scrape(ing) the bone to
T
not to be deterred by obstacles: “If you have Xi saw his chance and acted swiftly.
HE ISSUE OF compensating states for the shortfall in their goods and services a position on something, the thing is to stick remove the poison’. After declaring victory over COVID-19 in The writer was India’s Ambassador to China
tax (GST) collections has been contentious. Several states have argued that
the Centre has been delaying the compensation owed to them due to lower
collections through the compensation cess route. To address this issue, on
Monday, the Central government announced that it had released Rs 13,806 crore to states
for the compensation owed to them for March 2020, also noting that the entire amount
upto 2019-20 had been released. According to the data, as against cess collections of Rs
95,444 crore, the total compensation paid to states stands at a staggering Rs 1.65 lakh
COURT AND A FINE LINE
crore in 2019-20, underlining the extent of slippage in state GST collections in 2019-20. Rajasthan High Court must take into account SC verdict, Speaker's powers
Thesituation is likelyto worsenthis year. With economicactivity likelyto remain well be-
low pre-COVID levels, state GST collections will fall well short of expectations. Collections
throughthecompensationcesswillnotbeenoughtooffsettheshortfallinstates’revenues Vikramajit Sen
as measured against their protected revenue growth. As income from GST accounts for
a significant share of state revenue, this needs attending to. THE SPEAKER OF the Rajasthan State mented that the correctness of Kihoto Constitution is valid. Its provisions do not
Assembly has requested the Supreme Court Hollohan needs to be considered. If this ex- suffer from the vice of subverting demo-
TheGST Council,inwhich theCentre effectively has aveto, is expectedtomeet shortly
topermitthewithdrawalof theSpecialLeave ercise had been undertaken and the major- cratic rights of elected members of
to deliberate on this issue. While the rationale for assuring states a fixed growth rate of 14 Petition filed by him, and his request was ity opinion overturned, it would have re- Parliament and the legislatures of the
per cent for their GST collections can be debated — linking it to nominal GDP growth may grantedwithoutado.Thechallengetothein- quiredaseven-judgeBenchtobeconstituted States. It does not violate their freedom of
have been a better alternative — not abiding by its promise is certainly not in line with the terim orders of the Rajasthan High Court di- inrespectof theconstitutionalityof theTenth speech, freedom of vote and conscience as
spirit of cooperative federalism espoused by the Centre. It will set a bad precedent. The recting that status quo be maintained with Schedule, which challenge has not been contended”.
challenge,therefore,facingtheGSTcouncilistwo-fold:First,howtocompensatestatesfor regard to the impugned notices dated July voicedfromanyquarter.Thecherishedtenet Equallyremarkableistherejectionbythe
14, 2020, issued to the Sachin Pilot splinter of independence of the executive, the legis- Rajasthan High Court on the grounds of lack
the greater than expected shortfall this year, and second, whether or not the compensa-
group of the Indian National Congress is at lature and the judiciary has presently re- of jurisdiction of the prayer for “upholding
tioncessshouldbeextendedbeyondthefive-yearperiodthatwasoriginallyagreedupon. this pass. The writ petition in which this sta- ceived repose. the status of the petitioners as members of
Several options have been debated. First, market borrowing has been discussed as a tus quo order came to be passed is yet to be The High Court is not empowered to un- the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on ac-
possible way out of this quagmire. However, its legality will need to be examined. Hiking finally decided, and will be listed for hearing settle Kihota Hollohan and must apply its count of them continuing to be members of
tax rates, or the compensation cess, may not be appropriate at the current juncture. With onmentioningbythecounselfortheparties. ratio. This is that the Chairman/Speaker is the Indian National Congress” and “declar-
states also likely to witness a significant shortfall in tax devolution this year, as compared The public would have expected the the final arbiter of whether any member(s) ing that the alleged actions of the petition-
to the budget estimates, further shortfalls in their revenue, despite the additional bor- chief justice to fix an actual and early date of of Parliament or a legislature has become ers as members of the Rajasthan Legislative
hearing. subject to disqualification. The very fine Assembly do not fall within the purview of
rowing space, will severely restrict their spending. Given that states are at the forefront
The Kihoto Hollohan decision of the distinction or issue inter alia culled out by disqualification envisaged under para 2 of
of fighting the COVID pandemic, the council must ensure adequate flow of resources to Supreme Court delivered in 1992 will indu- the Rajasthan High Court to exercise its ex- the Tenth Schedule”. Nevertheless, the sta-
them, and reduce the uncertainty in state finances. bitably constitute the fulcrum of arguments. traordinary constitutional jurisdiction un- tus quo came to be ordered.
The Constitution Bench which heard it was The High Court is not der Article 226 is whether Kihoto Hollohan The high courts and the Supreme Court
split 3:2. The plurality upheld the constitu- empowered to unsettle had tested the vires of Para 2 (1)(a) of the routinelyrefusetointerfereinmatterswhere
tionality of the Tenth Schedule of the Tenth Schedule in the context of “intra- the concerned authority has merely issued
IPL IN THE DESERT

'Kihoto Hollohan' and must
Constitution. However, the minority struck party dissent”. This Para postulates disqual- a show cause notice or granted an opportu-
it down on the premise that it violated the
apply its ratio. This is that ification of a member of a House belong- nityof beingheard.Thisisaninviolabletenet
basic structure of the Constitution and the Chairman/Speaker is the ing to any party “if he has voluntarily given of natural justice. The Rajasthan High Court
Amid the pandemic, a long lost romance could be recreated, a should have been circulated to all the state final arbiter of whether any up his membership of such political party”. will have to decide whether the Speaker has
legislatures and shouldhavereceivedtheas- member(s) of Parliament or This is against the backdrop of the opinion done anything else.
new chapter could begin sent of their majority. in paragraph 21 of the judgment of the
a legislature has become
I
In the course of the very brief hearing be- Supreme Court in Kihota Hollohan that The writer is a former Judge of the
TSEEMSEVENthepandemiccannotpreventanothereditionof theIndianPremier fore the Supreme Court, the Bench hadcom- subject to disqualification. “paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule of the Supreme Court of India
League from rolling forth. With the Emirates Cricket Board confirming the Indian
counterpart’s intent and interest in shifting the premier domestic tournament to
the UAE,it wouldbe only a matter of clearingthe ministerialandbureaucraticfor-
malities before the world’s best cricketers descend in the country for the 13th edition of
the league, tentatively scheduled from mid-September to early November. Though there
could be logistical hurdles, the league won’t be trimmed or crunched, it will run the full JULY 29, 1980, FORTY YEARS AGO
course.Theauthoritiesmightallowspectatorsaswell.TheUAEcouldbeanoasisforcricket
enthusiasts, like it has been for Pakistan cricket since the Lahore shootings in 2009. ASSAM ACCORD Sahebwhenhereportedonthe“accord”and sendadditionalunitsof theCRPFasaprecau-
Cricket in the Gulf would surely whip up nostalgia and romance for cricket watchers FOR THE SECOND day, the latest situation in his talks with the agitation leaders. tionary measure.
of a certain vintage, those who have grown up watching the game in the ’80s and ’90s, Assamwasreviewedatahigh-levelmeeting
when the annual summer fixtures in Sharjah had the fervour of a World Cup. Some of the
in the context of the accord which Manipur CRPF IN KASHMIR BIHAR FLOODS
Chief Minister Dorendra Singh last week THECENTREISrushingadditionalunitsof the THE WIDENING OF the breach in the retired
most remarkable (and heartbreaking) moments were etched in Sharjah. The Sachin claimed to have reached with the AASU and CRPF to Kashmir to help the local authorities embankment off Piprasi-Pipraghat in
Tendulkarknocks,Miandadsix,Javedhat-trickorthoseFridayfinals—memoriesthatde- AAGSP on ending the 10-month-long agita- maintainlawandorderinthetroubledareas Champarandistrictwidenedalarminglyfrom
fine personalities, rivalries, teenage and early adulthood. tionontheforeignnationals'issue.Themeet- of the state. According to Home Ministry a mere 50 feet 3.200 feet and the waters of
But the times have changed and it may well be that the romance of Sharjah cricket ingwaspresidedoverbyHomeMinisterZail sources,thereinforcementwasbeingsentin swollenGandakhavesofarsweptacrossover
would never be recreated. Yet the reacquaintance of Indian cricket with the UAE could be Singh, and attended, among others, response to an SOS from the Chief Minister a dozen villages and flooded the Maddhunai
Krishnaswamy Rao Saheb, Secretary to the Sheikh Abdullah. The CM talked with the and Basi canals. The situation created by this
significant on several grounds. First, it would assure fans that this year’s IPL would not be
PM. According to official sources, Dorendra Union Home Minister on the telephone and breach causing concern because, despite
suspended, saving the board, franchises and players several millions. Second, the UAE Singhwhohadbeennegotiatingwiththeag- discussedthelatestsituationinSrinagar.The measures purporting to have been taken by
could always be a buffer venue in the future in times of crisis. Third, it could pave the way itation leaders as an “emissary" of the Prime Sheikh assured ail Singh that the situation local engineers the breach has widened
for India-Pakistan encounters if the political weather clears between the two countries. Ministerhadanhour-longmeetingwithRao wasundercontrol.But,heurgedtheCentreto alarmingly in the last three days.
New Delhi
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
11
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020 WHAT THE OTHERS SAY
THE IDEAS PAGE

“Without testing and tracing, it is only a matter of time before pocket
lockdowns turn national and push the country further into uncertainty. Only
this time, it could kill more people and completely kill public confidence in the
government.” — KATHMANDU POST
After the rural recovery A little less certainty,

a little more empathy
As the virus spreads geographically, the number of districts reporting a large number of COVID-19 cases
and deaths is growing. This poses new policy challenges If anything, the debate over cancel culture has
shown us that it’s imperative to introspect on who
we are when we are not performing to an audience
selves heard, and, oftentimes, that may not
be enough.
What the call-out culture achieved, at
least initially, was to push back at this im-
balance of power by creating a sense of
community among those who share a
Neelkanth Mishra long history of marginalisation and for
whom traditional modes of redressal have
Paromita often proven to be ineffective. And so, in a
Chakrabarti decade that has seen a remarkable num-
WITHTHELOCKDOWNSliftingfromMayon- ber of people’s movements, cancel culture
wards, most companies have reported a ro- has been both a solace and a sharp scim-
bust rebound in rural sales. Not only tractors, DAYS AFTER NEW York-based Harper’s itar. It has fostered a sense of solidarity, an
butruralsalesofcementandsoaparealsodo- magazine published a letter, that had alignment of forces to counter injustice,
ingbetterthanurbansales,andarenearlyback among its signatories academics, intellec- but it has not been an impulse privy to the
to pre-crisis levels. This has occurred even as tuals and writers such as Noam Chomsky, marginalised alone. In bandying together
activity indicators like rail freight, GST e-way Margaret Atwood, Martin Amis, John and protecting their interests, the power-
bill generation, power demand and mobility Banville and J K Rowling, warning against ful have long determined who gets to
trackershavepointedtoastagnationsincethe the rising tide of intolerance in civil dis- make the rules of the game and there is
middle of June. Even from unacceptably low course, in Mumbai, comedienne Agrima no equality in that.
levels, several indicators show a dip in July. Joshua was being panned for an act she’d The problem with the age of wokeism
If trendsinsalesbookedbycompaniesdi- done in April 2019. In the segment, a clip of is that it does not allow us room for mis-
verge from those shown by indicators, one which had found its way onto the internet, takes. Compartmentalised into us-versus-
must trust the former, as they reflect actual Joshua is speaking on the upcoming statue them binaries, it makes a virtue out of
transactions. Further, most of the concurrent of Shivaji in Maharashtra, the home of the moral certitude. A couple of years ago,
indicators being tracked have an urban bias, 17th century Maratha leader. Before long, during an interview at a literary festival,
and likely do not capture rural trends accu- condemnation and threats of bodily harm the feminist historian Mary Beard spoke
rately. Mobility indicators, for example, track were pouring in both online and off it, with of the necessity to accommodate nuance
movementsof smartphones,whichstillhave a YouTuber delivering rape threats in an in conversations. “The fact that we don’t
low rural penetration. expletive-laden Instagram post. easily agree doesn’t mean that we have to
What explains the rural recovery? How are the two connected, though? be at war with each other. These are things
Understanding this is important to under- In the letter, the signatories write, “While that are very hard, and rightly hard, to
stand its sustainability. we have come to expect this on the radi- agree upon. What people are allowed to
The shift of the population may have cal right, censoriousness is also spreading say is one of the big issues that every po-
helped.Reversemigrationhasmeantanearly more widely in our culture: an intolerance litical culture has always faced. We are not
5 per cent lower urban population (nearly 10 of opposing views, a vogue for public new in facing this. We need to examine it,
percentinlargercities),hurtingdemandand shaming and ostracism, and the tendency talk about it outside some kind of echo
activity in essential goods and services, and to dissolve complex policy issues in a chamber,” she said.
boosting them in rural areas by about 3 per blinding moral certainty…it is now all too If anything, the debate over cancel cul-
cent. However, the drop in remittances this common to hear calls for swift and severe ture has shown us that it’s imperative to
entails counters some of this impact. retribution in response to perceived trans- introspect on who we are when we are
Other commonly cited reasons are a gressions of speech and thought.” It fur- not performing to an audience. In disqui-
strong rabi harvest and rural-focused gov- ther states, “The restriction of debate, eting times, speaking up is a virtue and so
ernmentspending.Butaswewillsee,thenet whether by a repressive government or is taking sides. But, sometimes, pausing
impact is too small in magnitude to explain C R Sasikumar an intolerant society, invariably hurts to come up for air is an equally brave
the revival. growth,weakdomesticremittances(ifweas- people were less afraid to move around. those who lack power and makes every- choice. How much of our outrage is to-
Let us start with the rabi harvest. While sume 25 million returned migrants, who on Anecdotally, market movement in smaller one less capable of democratic participa- kenism? How far are we prepared to
agriculture is by definition rural, rural is no average sent Rs 6,000 every month, the drop townsandruralareashadnormalisedrapidly. tion. The way to defeat bad ideas is by ex- shrug off our privileges to understand that
longer just about agriculture — a point we is Rs 15,000 crore), and lower income from However, this is changing now. As the posure, argument, and persuasion, not by which affronts us? Is it possible that we
havebeenmakingformanyyears('Rethinking agricultural perishables. The net impact virus spreads geographically, the number of trying to silence or wish them away.” are articulating our well-meaning support
the rural', IE, May 23, 2013). Agriculture is in comestojustRs7,500croreamonth—0.9per districtsreportingalargenumberofCOVID-19 Loosely speaking, the letter was calling for in ways that can come across as conde-
our estimate now only 29 per cent of rural cent of rural GDP. casesanddeathsisgrowing.Thismeansmore cancel culture — the same that Joshua was scension? Can one feel equally strongly
GDP, even though it employs 58 per cent of Thus,governmentspendinghasservedto administrative restrictions, as well as people facing — to be cancelled. about every injustice in the world? Is it
the rural workforce. Further, rabi crops ac- negatethestressfromsomeoftheknownfac- becoming cautious as they become aware of As many critics noted, despite its inten- possible to admit to being wrong and be-
count for only around a sixth of total agricul- tors in agriculture and due to migration. But infections and deaths around them. tions, the letter was not without its flaws. gin again? In this constant masculinisa-
turaloutput,andnotallofitismarketablesur- we have not yet accounted for the impact of Thisposesnewpolicychallenges.Though Rowling was already under fire for her tion of our social discourse, uncertainty
plusasalargenumberoffarmersonlyharvest activityrestrictionsinnon-agriculturalactiv- citieslikeMumbaiareshowingsomesignsof controversial views on LGBTQ rights and teaches us to listen and to unlearn. There
enough to feed themselves. The rise in pro- ities, which are 71 per cent of rural GDP. The thecurveflattening(giventhelackof reliabil- the position of privilege enjoyed by the sig- is empathy in vulnerability because other-
curementofwheatandcottonhelpsruralcash scale of the income loss here would not be in ity of case and death numbers, we track the natories was not lost on anyone. If we look wise, in trying to find ourselves mirrored
flows but is small in the context of the nearly decimal points of GDP but in multiples of 5 Growth is the only way out numberof occupiedoxygen-beds,whichhas around, cancel culture has always existed. in every second person, we inevitably fail
Rs 95 lakh crore of rural GDP. percent.TherapidgrowthinMGNREGAper- of this vicious cycle, as it been unchanged for two weeks), the level of It’s been there in elite institutes, in the priv- to do so even in the best of our allies. In
On the other hand, weak demand in person-days indicates a paucity of other jobs in would provide more taxes activity curtailed to achieve this is unaccept- ileged coteries of old boys’ associations, in the end, we fall back upon well-rehearsed
ishablescouldbedraininguptoRs10,000crore theruraleconomyasitis,afterall,ademand- ablyhigh.Localtrains,schools,restaurantsand the corridors of power, where old money rhetoric of umbrage and one-upmanship.
and improve debt
amonthfromfarmers'cashflows.Milkismore driven scheme intended to prevent depriva- mallsare shut, andoffices are permitted only spoke to its own, and, in professions meant And, it is here, in the certainties that it
than a fifth of all agricultural output by value tion. At wages of Rs 200 per day, someone sustainability. As private a third of their workforce. to foster diversity. Cancel culture has fun- seeks, that cancel culture falters. When
and has seen weak demand due to roadside workingall30daysinamonthwouldearnRs investment and Given the low tax compliance, govern- damentally worked in favour of the privi- we judge without knowing, we deny our-
tea stalls, hotels and restaurants being shut. 6,000 — enough only for sustenance. consumption settle at far ment spending in India as a share of GDP is leged because getting their voices to selves empathy. The world has never been
Subduedcelebrationsintheupcomingfestive Statesthathaveseenreturninginter-state low by global standards. Further, a large part drown out those who did not conform has ideal, now, even less so. Unless we learn
season could further pressure demand for migrant workers have seen faster growth in
lower levels than earlier ofthatexpenditureisundercommittedheads never been an issue. From Hollywood pro- to soften the angularity of our rage with
milk-basedsweetsandghee.Similarly,disrup- person-days and states like Maharashtra, anticipated, the of interest, salary, pension and subsidies. ducer Harvey Weinstein to a former Indian grace, temper our insecurities with cour-
tionsindistributionhavehurtfarmerincomes PunjabandTamilNaduhaveseenadrop,sup- government’s role in the Growth is the only way out of this vicious cy- union minister accused of sexual miscon- tesy, the conversation will always end up
from fruits and vegetables (with a few excep- porting this hypothesis, and serving the in- economy over the next two cle, as it would provide more taxes and im- duct, if the #MeToo movement that began as a monologue — full of sound and fury,
tions like potatoes), meat and fish. tendedpurposebehindtheincreaseinMGN- prove debt sustainability. As private invest- in 2017 showed anything it was this: That achieving little.
Now,letusconsidertheimpactofgovern- REGA budgets this year.
years or so would need to be ment and consumption settle at far lower it takes decades for those at the receiving
mentspending.TheCentrehasrampedupex- Thus, a bigger driver of the rapid rural re- much larger than it has been levels than earlier anticipated, the govern- end of a power imbalance to make them- paromita.chakrabarti@expressindia.com
pendituretargetedatthepoor,likefreegrains, vivalpostthelockdownsisthefasternormal- in the last three decades. ment’sroleintheeconomyoverthenexttwo
direct cash transfers to women’s bank ac- isation of non-agricultural activities in rural While the financing and yearsorsowouldneedtobemuchlargerthan
counts, higher MGNREGA spending, and has areas.Giventhatoutsidetheworst50districts, ithasbeeninthelastthreedecades.Whilethe
sustainability aspects of this
also front-loaded PM-Kisan payments.
Together with the higher crop procurement,
whichareallurbancentres,reportedcasesper
millionpopulationwerelessthan100tillJune, issue have been discussed, it
financingandsustainabilityaspectsof thisis-
sue have been discussed, it may also need a LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
these add up to an additional Rs 35,000 crore compared to nearly 10,000 in the worst-af- may also need a new newinstitutionalarchitecturetomanagethis
a month, so far. Annualised, this would be fected metros, activities are likely to have re- temporary but significantly larger role.
about4.5percentofruralGDP—indeedasub- boundedfasterintheformer.Notonlywasthe
institutional architecture to COUNTERING CHINA
stantial sum. However, offsetting these cash administrative imposition of lockdowns and manage this temporary but
significantly larger role.
The writer is co-head of APAC Strategy and THIS REFERS TO the article, 'India IDEAS
ONLINE
inflows is a sharp drop in agricultural credit containmentzoneslesswidespread,eventhe India Strategist for Credit Suisse and democracy's ten' (IE, July 28).
The rise of China as a superpower
will not be a smooth one due to its
expansionist and radical approach ONLY IN THE EXPRESS
towards other nations. While the US
The beautiful people

is willing to make an “alliance” to ● HAGIA SOPHIA,
counter the CCP, India must consider ERDOGAN’S SHAME:
its pros and cons effectively to take SHAHID A ABBASI
the fullest advantage of the current
Cold War like situation between the ● EPIDEMIC DISEASES
Washington DC and the Beijing. BEYONDCOVID:
OliviadeHavillandwasoneofthelastofthegreatsofHollywood’sgoldenage Though India will not be joining any
NIRMAL KUMARGANGULY
alliance as clarified by the external
Kabir Firaque affairs minister, it may consider the
US proposal of an alliance as a www.indianexpress.com
“coalition of democracies” to counter
OF ALL THAT happened in her eventful life, ever the studios’ grip on actors. Katharine Hepburn in the 2000s, and (1955). Tippi Hedren of The Birds (1962) and the CCP and its ideological rise.
Olivia de Havilland is best remembered for Fromherlife,thatisthebiggesttakeaway. Elizabeth Taylor and Lauren Bacall in the fol- Marnie (1964) is now 90. Kim Novak of Daksh Solanki, Delhi constitutes one of the “basic
her role as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in Gone From her death, the big takeaway is sober- lowing decade. Then Kirk Douglas and now Vertigo (1958) is 87. structure of the Constitution”.
With The Wind (1939). This is unfair for two
reasons. Memorable as she is in GWTW, it is
ing:TheGoldenAgeof Hollywoodisslipping
away. Yes, we will always have the films. But
de Havilland have left in the very beginning
of the 2020s — both of them past 100.
The most important among them is Eva
Marie Saint, who turned 96 on July 4, three
NO, GOVERNOR Sagar Ganesh Borade, Thane
by no means her finest role. Her countless

fans will point to the two roles that won her
the stars are mostly gone— with due respect
to thefewwho remain,deHavillandwasour
How many are still with us? An online
search throws up long lists that bring a false
daysafterdeHavillandturned104.Saintwas
in Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959)
THIS REFERS TO the article, 'On a
dark path' (IE, July 28). Rajasthan's
ELDERLY MATTER
Academy Awards, the two others (besides strongest surviving link to the Golden Age. sense of relief. Most of the names, it turns with Cary Grant (died 1986), and in Elia political crisis highlights two exigent THIS REFERS TO the article, ‘Woman
the supporting role in GWTW) that won her The era has truly ended. out, are of actors who played smaller roles, Kazan’s On the Waterfront (1954) with issues. One, the vile priorities of abandoned by family finds an
nominations, and more. The second reason We are at that stage of history when this or who were child actors during the Golden Marlon Brando (died 2004). We saw Saint at political parties in capturing power unlikely new home’ (IE, July 26). The
is that her legacy goes beyond her roles. Film was inevitable. Actors who were old enough Age. Indeed, every link is vital in a vanishing the Oscars in 2018, as a presenter. Cherish in the face of a deadly and government must devise
historians,evenlawhistoriansandlabourac- toplaytheleadwhentalkingpicturesarrived chain, including Mickey Kuhn, now 87, who these moments, for a day will come, in- unprecedented medical emergency. sustainable strategies to deal with
tivists, will point to the De Havilland Law. (not de Havilland, who was 11 when the first played Melanie's young son in GWTW 81 evitably, when we will have only their films. A similar game was witnessed in issue of abandoned elderly people.
De Havilland, who died this week at age soundfilmreleasedin1927)wouldhavebeen years ago. But it’s the stars we want to count. De Havilland never did a Hitchcock film. Madhya Pradesh with the toppling This issue is pertinent in the times
104, fought the system — and won. In 1943, atleast110todayif itwerepossibletolivethat Ifoundaboutadozennamesmorefamil- HersisterJoanFontaine(died2013atage96) of the Kamal Nath government. Such of the pandemic. The kindness of
when Hollywood’s powerful studios con- long (Greta Garbo, for example, would have iar than others. Two of the bigger ones are did two, winning an Academy nomination tactics tend to undermine the AAP MP Sanjay Singh should be
trolledthefateof actors,WarnerBrothersre- turned 115 this year). Those old enough to Angela Lansbury and Jane Powell, both in forRebecca (1940)andbaggingtheawardfor Constitution. Second, the role of praised but such personal gestures
fused to let her go at the end of their seven- have played the lead towards the end of the their 90s now. Five others will be familiar to Suspicion (1942). They remain the only sib- governor has been doubted given will not solve this longstanding
yearcontract.Thestudiotaggedextratimeto Golden Age (mid-1960s or thereabouts) will fans of Alfred Hitchcock — six if you count lingstohaveeachwononeormoreAcademy the dubious machinations deployed problem. The need of the hour is
thecontracttocompensateforperiodswhen nowbeatleastintheir70s,andmorelikelyin hisdaughter Patricia,now92,whoappeared Awards. Joan got there first, beating Olivia in by him/her to bring the ruling party immediate intervention by the
she had not been working. She sued in a their 80s or 90s. Or gone already. in three of his films. Vera Miles, 90, is Marion the 1942 race, but this is not the time to re- in the Union to power in the states. government for providing basic
California court, leading to the landmark Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis, de Crane's sister from Psycho (1960) and Henry flect on their famed sibling rivalry. For today, These incidences tend to erode the necessities to such people.
1944 ruling — informally known as the De Havilland’s closest friend in the industry, left Fonda’s disturbed wife from The Wrong Man we only have their films. principle of federalism which Chandramaulika, Bhubaneswar
Havilland Law — that the years in the con- in the 1980s. Barbara Stanwyck and Audrey (1956). Shirley MacLaine, 86, made her de-
tract mean calendar years. It loosened for- Hepburndiedinthe1990s,GregoryPeckand but in Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry kabir.firaque@expressindia.com
New Delhi
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, July 28, 2020 | A15
OPINION
Margaret Sanger Gets Canceled BOOKSHELF | By Roger Lowenstein
Margaret
Sanger
been morally
has
tics reports that for 2017, the
most recent year for which it
has data, there were almost as
was a founder of the National
Right to Life Committee. Al-
veda King, founder of Civil
syndrome births in Iceland.
The court, he warned, can’t
dodge the issue forever.
Keeping Proﬁts
promoted to
the rank of
Confederate
general. It
many black abortions as live
births. This disparity remains
an issue polite society won’t
touch—so outside the pro-life
Rights for the Unborn, is a
niece of the Rev. Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Democrat Ka-
trina Jackson is a pro-life
As it turns out, neither can
Planned Parenthood. Its re-
moval of Sanger’s name raises
all sorts of awkward ques-
On Track
MAIN
STREET comes cour-
tesy of
community it breaks through
only when someone like Kanye
leader in the Louisiana Senate.
The same press that fawned
tions. Will Hillary Clinton and
Nancy Pelosi return their Mar-
Iron Empires
By William
Planned Par- West brings it up. over Faye Wattleton when she garet Sanger Awards? Will Bill By Michael Hiltzik
McGurn
enthood of In 2009 Justice Ruth Bader was heading Planned Parent- de Blasio insist on keeping a (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 424 pages, $30)
T
Greater New Ginsburg kicked up a storm hood (and famously refused to Manhattan square named for
York, which will remove when she said that behind the debate Mrs. James) ensures Sanger? What about the bust he public image of the robber barons has always been
Sanger’s name from its Man- Roe decision she thought that women like these remain of Sanger in the National Por- a barometer of how America thinks about wealth.
hattan clinic because her “rac- “there was concern about pop- invisible. trait Gallery? Were they financiers or swindlers? Builders or
ist legacy” and “deep belief in ulation growth and particu- No one can expect Planned monopolists? In the Progressive Era, the muckraker Ida
eugenic ideology” can no lon- larly growth in populations Parenthood to reconsider its Tarbell cast John D. Rockefeller as a ruthless monopolist,
ger be denied. that we don’t want to have too Planned Parenthood support for abortion. But if it and Matthew Josephson’s compelling but one-sided
“The removal of Margaret many of.” She later clarified, means what it says about Depression-era tome, “The Robber Barons,” scorched the
Sanger’s name from our build- saying she wasn’t endorsing disavows her ‘racist holding “long overdue dia- lot of them. In recent decades serious biographers have
ing is both a necessary and the eugenic motivation she as- legacy’ but continues logues” with “communities of reappraised the turn-of-the-century moguls and found
overdue step to reckon with cribed to Roe—just pointing to color,” how about a public more to like. Could the wheel be poised to turn again?
our legacy and acknowledge concerns about overpopula- carrying it out. conversation with African- With inequality considered a public enemy, a reappraisal
Planned Parenthood’s contri- tion at the time. Whatever the Americans who believe that might be ripe.
butions to historical reproduc- intentions, abortion’s conse- black women struggling with In “Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the
tive harm within communities quences have manifestly af- And what about Clarence unintended pregnancies ought Making of Modern America,” Michael Hiltzik pokes among
of color,” wrote Karen Seltzer, fected different populations Thomas? The Supreme Court to have more hopeful options the ghostly bones of tycoons past but doesn’t generally
the chapter’s chairman. differently. last year let stand a lower- than simply getting rid of offer a new interpretation. Mr. Hiltzik, a journalist with the
What might that “reproduc- “Planned Parenthood does a court ruling that threw out an their unborn children? Los Angeles Times, presents a colorful cast in conventional
tive harm” include? During a large percentage of its abor- Indiana law prohibiting abor- Plainly the cancel culture terms. Once again we hear that the railroad barons made
National Day of Mourning last tion business in minority tions done solely for reasons that has now taken down Mar- money by watering stock
summer, Catherine Davis of neighborhoods,” says Kay of race, sex or disability—in garet Sanger is not up to the (meaning that they inflated it,
the Restoration Project, a James, president of the Heri- other words, for eugenic rea- job, because canceling is less as in watering cattle), swin-
black organization dedicated tage Foundation and founder sons. Justice Thomas was de- about coming to terms with dling rivals, buying judges and
to promoting the sanctity of of Black Americans for Life. rided for an opinion pointing history than erasing it. milking decrepit properties.
life and rebuilding families, of- “Some employees may believe out that “Sanger’s arguments “I believe many African- Daniel Drew was vaunted for
fered some perspective. The they are helping women, but about the eugenic value of American pro-lifers share my his ability to manipulate shares.
estimated 20 million African- whether they know it or not, birth control in securing ‘the view that removing Sanger’s He played with the float of the
American abortions since Roe they are doing the work of elimination of the unfit’ apply name from buildings isn’t the Erie Railroad “with the ease of
v. Wade in 1973, she noted, is white supremacists, which is with even greater force to way for Planned Parenthood to a child inflating and deflating a
more than America’s entire eliminating an alarming num- abortion.” He went on to say reckon her legacy,” says Mrs. toy balloon,” as Mr. Hiltzik puts
black population in 1960. ber of black people before how abortion has proved a James. “It should be about it. For unalloyed greed, it was
The Centers for Disease they are born.” “disturbingly effective” eu- reckoning with the ongoing hard to top George Pullman, the
Control and Prevention re- African-American women genic tool: not only in the dis- part of her work, in terms of sleeping-car magnate, who set up
ports that non-Hispanic black such as Mrs. James have fea- proportionate number of black the Planned Parenthood clinics a “beautiful” company town but
women account for the great- tured prominently in the pro- abortions in the U.S. but in the in our neighborhoods. If we’re gouged his underpaid workers on
est share of all U.S. abortions, life movement from the begin- hundreds of thousands of being honest about legacies, rent. When a depression set in,
38%, despite being only 13% of ning. Mildred Jefferson, the pregnancies terminated in Asia isn’t that the conversation we Pullman cut wages 30%; somehow the workers’ rent was
the population. New York first black woman to graduate because they were girls and should be having?” unaffected, while corporate dividends rose.
City’s Bureau of Vital Statis- from Harvard Medical School, the near elimination of Down Write to mcgurn@wsj.com. Labor unions objected, but they were weak. The most
serious threat emanated from the barons themselves, who
recklessly overbuilt. The finagling Jay Gould ruined the
Snooze the Climate Alarms Union Pacific, the Civil War-era trunk line chartered and
subsidized by Congress. Talk about a fiduciary! Gould
thought nothing of (a) destroying the company with an
You won’t timate that population could more information to women “factory farms” offends green expensive acquisition while (b) personally wheeling and
hear this from be as low as 6.29 billion in around the world. sensibilities but can achieve dealing in the stock while also (c) serving on the board.
the profes- 2100. That would be 33% lower There are several lessons green goals. Factory farms The result was redundant tracks, ruinous rate-cutting and
sional climate than the lowest current U.N. here for policy makers wres- produce more food on less repeated waves of bankruptcy. Mr. Hiltzik likens the barons
alarmists, but projection, and around 1.5 bil- tling with the difficult issues land and are often more car- to rival duchies in Napoleonic Europe, jousting and plotting
an important lion fewer than the Earth’s surrounding climate change. bon-efficient than the small- but incapable of asserting order.
study on population today. The first is that conventional scale organic farms beloved by Until, that is, the emergence of J.P. Morgan Sr. and his
GLOBAL
global demo- Even under the less aggres- strategies for combating cli- hipsters. The U.S. today pro- nearest rival, E.H. Harriman. Morgan tried to right the
VIEW
graphics has sive scenario, the conse- mate change are too narrowly duces far more food than in finances, and Harriman to upgrade the operations, of
By Walter
good news for quences would be far-reaching. conceived. A focused global ef- the 19th century, but as mar- America’s first major industry—which today carries no more
Russell Mead
the future of China, where the University of fort to ensure that the educa- ginal land is taken out of pro- passengers than in 1890 but far more freight using far less
greenhouse Washington study expects tion and contraceptive SDG duction, the forests return. In labor. The standard view, which Mr. Hiltzik reprises, is that
emissions. For some time, de- population to decline by 48% America, forests have been ex- Morgan and Harriman were more public-spirited than the
mographers have been scaling to 732 million, would fall to panding for more than 50 likes of Gould, swearing off stock manipulations in order
back forecasts of future popu- third place, behind India and A new study predicts years, and even though popu- to put the roads on a sounder footing.
lation growth, but they may Nigeria, in the world popula- lation has more than tripled, The rub is that they were also monopolists, and neither was
not have gone far enough. A tion ranking. Population in 23 population will drop there is more forested land in shy about his collusive instincts. Morgan publicly chortled
new University of Washington countries and territories, in- sharply as developing the country today than there about having gathered the presidents of “all the competitive
study published in the Lancet cluding Japan, South Korea, It- was in 1910. In Europe, for- traffic of the roads west of Chicago and St. Louis.” The
argues that conventional popu- aly, Portugal and Spain, would economies grow. ested land expanded by an purpose of his little tea party was to fix prices. Harriman
lation statistics don’t account fall by 50% or more from their area the size of Portugal be- chose the more direct route of acquiring Union Pacific, the
for ongoing and projected fu- peaks. America, where con- tween 1990 and 2015. road previously mismanaged by Gould. It had fallen into debt
ture improvements in health tinuing immigration is ex- targets are fully met could If the SDG targets for edu- and disrepair, but Harriman committed millions to improving
care and education for women pected to offset declining fer- have a significantly greater cation and contraceptive ac- it; he then sought to acquire or eliminate any line that might
around the world. More liter- tility, would slip from third to long-term impact on emissions cess are met, and efficient ag- impede his pursuit of an east-west monopoly.
acy and better access to infor- fourth place with 336 million, than more-expensive and un- riculture continues to spread
mation about contraception barely more than today. popular policy choices like car- across the world, the combina-
are, along with urbanization, These shifts would lead to bon taxes or the mandated use tion of a falling population and Morgan and Harriman were more public-spirited
associated with declining fer- wrenching change. Health-care of expensive renewables. a smaller agricultural footprint than their robber-baron predecessors, but they
tility rates as women gain bet- and pension systems would Reproduction isn’t the only would allow the “rewilding” of
ter control of their reproduc- come under great stress human behavior that changes much of the Earth’s surface. were also monopolists, keen on collusion.
tive lives. around the world as shrinking with greater wealth and more And if economic development
Looking at the impact of numbers of working people education. Societies that are spreads the blessings of
these forces, the study pre- support large populations of wealthy enough to provide ed- greater freedom and greater Harriman is the more interesting character of the two
dicts some startling changes older people. But the impact on ucation and health care also education to more of the by virtue of his present obscurity, though not the more
over the course of the century. greenhouse emissions would act to preserve and restore world, popular demands for charming. “Not one man in a thousand found him genial,”
Instead of the global popula- be much more benign. their natural surroundings. De- cleaner air, cleaner water and an acquaintance remarked. Morgan looked down on the
tion reaching between 9.4 bil- These projections may not veloping countries may hack the protection of nature will runt-sized but iron-willed tycoon, who, unlike Morgan, had
lion and 12.7 billion by 2100 pan out; 80 years is a long down their forests, pollute only grow. risen from genteel poverty. More than a financier, Harriman
(as estimated in the 2019 time horizon and predicting their rivers, and foul their air, For many greens that had an operator’s eye; he saw every “blistered rail and
United Nations World Popula- the reproductive choices of but when they become rich thought is heretical, but the loose bolt,” as one railroad superintendent observed. While
tion Prospects report), the new people not yet born is less sci- they invest in repairing the University of Washington Morgan’s idea of an adventure was taking the cure in
study suggests it will peak at ence than art. Nevertheless, damage and reducing their study is only the latest piece of Provence, Harriman rounded up the leading scientists of
9.7 billion in 2064 and then de- the study points to a vital link- footprint. evidence pointing to the most the era for an all-expenses expedition to remote Alaska.
crease to about 8.8 billion by age between climate and prog- There are other ways that important truth in the climate “Whether Harriman and Morgan were motivated chiefly
2100. If the U.N.’s Sustainable ress that the green movement economic development sup- debate. While there are serious by public or personal interest can be endlessly debated,”
Development Goals for educa- often overlooks. Growth can be ports the environment. The problems that need to be ad- Mr. Hiltzik says after debating the question for more than
tion and contraceptive use are good. Economic development transition from traditional ag- dressed, the greenest thing an 300 pages. The distinction would have puzzled Morgan,
met in full, the researchers es- brings better health care and riculture to more-intensive economy can do is to grow. who fancied that his pursuit of consolidation was in the
public interest. Rails were a natural monopoly. What they
needed was rationalization and, to use a 20th-century term,
De Havilland Saved Hollywood From Stalin regulation. Until the federal government volunteered for
the job, Morgan and Harriman were the closest thing.
Mr. Hiltzik’s narrative, unhappily, is overloaded with
By Ronald Radosh munist liberal, was shocked anyone else in the commit- De Havilland’s speech, portentous framing. The trouble starts early, when he
O
when she heard the Commu- tee’s leadership, she read to Trumbo wrote her in an angry intones that each of his heroes “would play his hour upon
livia de Havilland, who nist screenwriter John How- the rally not Trumbo’s pre- letter, was nothing “but a de- the great stage.” Such anticipatory drum beating punc-
died Sunday at 104, is ard Lawson tell the committee pared words, but her own, nunciation of Communism,” tures any sense of narrative tension. And to say, as he
remembered mostly for the U.S. was starting “to written with the help of an exercise in “Red-baiting.” does, that Harriman was a “necessary” figure to the
her on-screen work, including strangle democracy every- James Roosevelt, the late With the support of another evolution of the railroad industry assumes a pre-
her role as Melanie Hamilton where.” In June 1946, she ac- president’s anticommunist actor who belonged to the destination available only in retrospect: What if
in “Gone With the Wind.” But cepted an invitation to speak son, who was one of the com- group, Ronald Reagan, James Harriman had slipped on the tracks?
we shouldn’t forget her con- at a committee rally in Seat- mittee’s leaders. Roosevelt and de Havilland Elsewhere, Mr. Hiltzik revs up a railroad war by telling
tribution to ending the Com- tle. She received a draft, writ- From 1932 to 1945, she told proposed that members make us that “fate intervened,” as if events were adhering to a
munist influence in Hollywood ten by Hollywood’s most her captive audience, a “coali- a statement strongly opposed master script. Trying to confect a sense of inevitability,
at a critical moment. tion of all liberal and progres- to communism. After a he asserts that “storm clouds were on the horizon” as the
De Havilland was involved sive forces” supported the stormy meeting, Reagan, pro- 19th century “drew to a close.” But the clouds were visible
with the Hollywood Indepen- A true liberal, the New Deal. But in this new era, ducer Dore Schary and others only in retrospect. He spends a lot of time describing a
dent Citizens’ Committee for actress was steadfast “reactionary forces have proceeded to de Havilland’s ball at New York’s Waldorf in 1897, replete with 60 cases
the Arts, Sciences and Profes- driven a wedge in the liberal apartment, where she told of champagne, as a set-piece of speculative excess. But the
sions, which brought together against Communists. coalition” and were trying to them she had decided to market break, which is supposed to give the ball its
liberals and Communists as make it appear “that the great “smoke out” the Communists symbolic power, didn’t come until four years later.
World War II was ending. Its liberal movement is con- and openly oppose them. Mr. Hiltzik often assumes a forward knowingness—
leader, Hannah Dorner, was a gifted, prolific and highest- trolled by those who are more James Roosevelt publicly re- cutthroat competition “would send more than half of
secret member of the Commu- paid screenwriter, Dalton interested in taking orders signed in July 1946, and it America’s railroads into bankruptcy”—but rarely seems to
nist Party. As the early winds Trumbo. Trumbo wanted her from Moscow and following was soon apparent that the be fully in the present moment. He writes that the railroad
of the Cold War blew, Dorner to condemn “the drive of cer- the party line than they are in committee’s only remaining baron James J. Hill and Harriman, who came to logger-
began to shift the group to- tain interests toward a war making democracy work.” The members were the Commu- heads over Northern Pacific, were “preordained” to clash
ward a pro-Soviet position. By against the Soviet Union,” and only answer was for liberals nists who had created it. and that Wall Street “steeled itself for a final paroxysm.”
October 1945, she was leading his text condemned Truman to distance themselves from This is history written in reverse. His characters are a
the group in opposing “the infor union busting, anti-Semi- Stalin and his followers, the Mr. Radosh is co-author, rich, interesting lot. But his reflexive foreshadowing robs
cipient native fascism” she tism and racial bigotry. American Communists. “We with Allis Radosh, of “Red “Iron Empires” of the drama it might have had.
said was emanating from the What de Havilland did was believe in democracy,” she Star Over Hollywood: The
Truman administration. unprecedented and gutsy. told the crowd, “and not in Film Colony’s Long Romance Mr. Lowenstein is the author of “America’s Bank: The Epic
De Havilland, an anticom- Without informing Trumbo or Communism.” With the Left.” Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve.”
A16 | Tuesday, July 28, 2020 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
OPINION
REVIEW & OUTLOOK LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Jerome Powell’s Price-Fix Is In We Must Change to Bring Back the Factories
E
very dog of a bad policy idea has its day, Yet this putative blessing could quickly be- Regarding Arthur Herman’s “Bring- focus on high-skill jobs in the U.S.
but bad monetary-policy ideas seem to come a curse. Should investors decide to chal- ing the Factories Home” (op-ed, July and on close allies like Japan and
20): I was an owner of an aluminum South Korea, while low- and mid-skill
get more than one. The latest idea whose lenge the central bank’s interest-rate peg, au-
foundry near Boston in the early jobs are moved to factories in more
time has come and gone and thorities would be forced to 2000s. We supplied a major semicon- friendly low-cost countries like India,
come again is yield-curve con- The Fed flirts with expand or contract the balance ductor test-machine manufacturer Indonesia, Taiwan and, especially,
trol, which is shaping up to be controlling the Treasury sheet quickly at a time of mar- with considerable business in China. I Mexico.
one of the Federal Reserve’s kets’ rather than officials’ remember one very complex 300-lb. GEORGE HAMILTON
next party tricks. debt yield curve. choosing. The Fed would prob- casting our customer was forced by St. Michaels, Md.
This tool would involve the ably win such a battle of wills, the Chinese government to source in
Fed setting interest rates by but at what cost? China to be allowed to sell machines I was hired as technical director
diktat for the first time in 70 years, and Gover- The Fed last experimented with this policy in there. Although it took them three for the International Society of Opti-
nors are warming to the idea. The Open Market the 1940s as Washington struggled to finance years to find a Chinese foundry capa- cal Engineering. Bottom line, 10 years
Committee may discuss the policy at its meeting World War II. Interest-rate price controls reduced ble of making it, they finally did, and after retiring in 2001, 85% of the pa-
we lost over $1 million in revenue. pers in SPIE’s refereed journal were
Tuesday, and Chairman Jerome Powell said at the Treasury’s borrowing costs. But they intro-
Further, the machining source in New Asian. Now 10 years later, Mr. Her-
his June press conference and before Congress duced financial and other distortions that became Hampshire where we shipped the man reveals the consequences of 70%
that the Fed is studying such controls. harder to manage the further out of sync the offi- casting lost the machining work. Like Chinese enrollment in STEM courses
i i i cial rate and market sentiment drifted. so many foundries, we closed in 2009. at U.S. universities. For any real
No one should underestimate the risks this By explicitly politicizing interest rates, the Fed We must emulate the Chinese by change we need to offer many more
poses for the global economy. For decades the also opened itself to political pressure from Trea- requiring American companies to quality technical courses and have
Fed has “set” short-term interest rates by ex- sury to maintain the policy after the war despite source parts in the U.S. Forget tariffs, American kids take them.
panding or contracting the money supply to rising inflation. This conflict was finally resolved require a specific amount of work be TERRY MONTONYE
guide supply and demand toward the target—via in the 1951 Accord when the Fed wrested back its brought back to the U.S. over a period Bellingham, Wash.
open-market operations for very short-term independence from Treasury, but Fed “even keel” of years. It won’t correct our problem
credit in normal times. The Fed added quantita- operations to facilitate government borrowing overnight, but by bringing back an in- The most significant thing we can
creasing amount of product and com- do to boost manufacturing is to auto-
tive easing (QE) to its monetary arsenal in 2008 lingered into the 1970s. ponents each year we will achieve the mate. If the trade war is fought over
to influence rates, including long bond rates, but If Mr. Powell thinks President Trump’s Twit- desired result. who has the cheapest labor, then
this still leaves room for markets to send signals ter feed is bad for Fed independence, wait until BILL SCHAFFER China wins. If the trade war is fought
about expectations for inflation, economic the chairman starts manipulating rates out- Aspen, Colo. over who makes the best use of ro-
growth and the like. right. The danger will grow more acute the botics and automation, then we have
Yield-curve control muzzles investors. The more indebted the federal government becomes Mr. Herman correctly cites the na- a chance. Germany keeps up with
Fed would state its desired interest rates for from pandemic response and Baby Boomer enti- tional-security necessity of moving China because it has four times as
government bonds at one or more maturities tlements. U.S. supply lines out of China, but the many robots per worker as the U.S.
along the yield curve, commit to buying or sell- i i i suggestion that these manufacturing does, and does it without reducing
ing unlimited quantities of bonds to achieve the These concerns pale against the greatest risk: jobs can be brought back to U.S. soil manufacturing jobs. American politi-
ignores economics. Various sources cal, labor and business culture needs
target, and then dare global markets to test its The world needs a market price for the 10-year
report U.S. manufacturing labor costs to accept the fact that in the 21st
resolve. Rising or falling rates—let alone a Treasury yield, and Mr. Powell is threatening to at multiples of those in China. Unless century you cannot compete without
yield-curve inversion—no longer would be a take that away. we suspend trade, those jobs cannot robotics.
meaningful signal. Any deviation from the de- The Fed is interested in the Japanese and be brought back at such cost differ- DAVID PETERSON
clared rate would arise from speculative betting Australian yield-control experiments, but ences. Instead, American firms should Orlando, Fla.
against the Fed rather than market guesses there’s an important difference between those
about the economy. countries and the United States. Without mean-
Fed officials think this would be good. The ing to be rude, the world cares little about the
Fed has fretted since the Ben Bernanke era that yield on a 10-year Japanese or three-year Aus- Cancer Is the Big Risk, Sunscreen Is an Asset
long-term rates often resist the central bank’s tralian bond. Everyone must care about the in-
control. Operation Twist was an attempt to drag terest rate on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes. On behalf of the 20,000 members of health. Just because an ingredient is
the American Academy of Dermatology absorbed into the bloodstream doesn’t
down longer-term rates by buying longer-term Mr. Powell and his colleagues propose to fix
(AAD), I’d like to emphasize that sun- mean that it is harmful or unsafe. Most
assets under QE. Governor Lael Brainard argues the price on the paramount safe-haven asset in screens are a vital tool in the fight important, the study’s authors and the
that forcing medium-term rates downward the global economy. This is true even if the Fed against skin cancer, and their formula- FDA conclude that consumers should
would bolster the Fed’s credibility. follows Australia’s lead and introduces price tions and use are in line with current continue to use sunscreen as part of a
Backers say the policy allows central banks controls at maturities of only three or four Food and Drug Administration regula- comprehensive sun-protection plan.
to manipulate rates without expanding their bal- years. A fixed price at one or two points on the tions (“The Numbers: Shining a Light Because dermatologists see first-
ance sheets ad infinitum. This argument ap- yield curve inevitably will distort prices at every on Sunscreen Chemicals,” U.S. News, hand the impact that skin cancer has
pealed in Japan, the Frankenstein’s lab of mone- other point. July 18). on patients and their families, the AAD
tary policy, where two decades of quantitative Note also that Australia’s central bank targets The science is clear that unpro- recommends that when outdoors, ev-
easing left the central bank with relatively few the rate used as the risk-free benchmark for tected exposure to the sun’s dangerous eryone seek shade, wear protective
ultraviolet rays is the most preventable clothing—including a lightweight and
outstanding government bonds to buy. mortgages and other loans in that economy—
risk factor for skin cancer, including long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-
The Bank of Japan’s 2016 introduction of yield- which is why the central bank thinks the policy melanoma, the deadliest form of skin brimmed hat and sunglasses—and ap-
curve control saw an initial flurry of central-bank works. The same logic in the U.S. would require cancer. Sunscreen can help protect the ply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant
asset purchases, but markets now do as they’re the Fed to price-fix the benchmark 10-year Trea- public from harmful ultraviolet rays. sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
told without intervention. Monthly bond pur- sury sooner or later. While the FDA is seeking more safety to all skin not covered by clothing.
chases have slowed relative to the era of “pure” We don’t know what price the global econ- data on certain sunscreen ingredients, BRUCE H. THIERS M.D., FAAD
QE. Australia introduced yield-curve control in omy would pay for such a policy in economic it has been clear that more research is President
March in an experiment the Fed is watching, and distortions or financial instability. The Fed needed to determine whether the ab- American Academy of Dermatology
its central bank also needs to trade relatively little doesn’t know either. No one should be eager to sorption has any effects on a person’s Charleston, S.C.
to maintain the peg. find out.
A Career Coach Who Knows You Best—Mom

A Weekend of Urban Anarchy “Meet Your Career Coach—You portunities. I hope that others with
R
May Know Her as Mom” (Page One, these sorts of parents recognize that
iots broke out again this weekend from York City, demonstrators defaced police vans July 20) illustrates that higher-educa- such parental guidance, though occa-
coast to coast, with violence and van- with spray paint and tried to smash their win- tion institutions don’t adequately sionally frustrating, is a huge advan-
dalism damaging more of urban Amer- dows, while others lit trash cans on fire. Dem- prepare undergraduates to enter the tage over others looking for work.
ica. Democrats and their me- onstrators carried out more real world. Also, social capital can be Students without such connections
dia allies insist these are These were not peaceful vandalism at a federal build- just as important, if not more, than face much stiffer odds of overcoming
largely peaceful protests, so earning a degree. Although the stu- their shortage of labor-market in-
it’s worth examining what re-
protests, despite what ing in Atlanta and a Fraternal
Order of Police lodge in Balti- dents referenced in the article struction. Schools must step up their
ally happened. many in the media claim. more. seemed bright, they needed the guid-
ance of concerned and connected
career-guidance programs, and com-
munity groups must do more to lo-
On Saturday in Seattle, This list isn’t exhaustive,
loved ones to turn academic success cate students in need of mentorship
protesters gathered outside and it undermines the claim into something professionally valu- and the access to social capital that
the juvenile court and detention facility, set that the Trump Administration has deployed able. This reveals a profound failure comes from having a connected, older
fire to portable trailers, and smashed the win- federal agents to suppress peaceful dissent. that is common throughout higher loved one in your life.
dows of nearby cars and businesses. An explo- Federal officers protecting federal property are education. Even during boom times, KEVIN FRAZIER
sive device gashed an eight-inch hole in the now the targets of demonstrators, not the in- recent grads enter the job market San Francisco
side of the Seattle Police Department’s East stigators of violence. The real blame lies with with insufficient institutional instruc-
Precinct, and rioters threw fireworks, stones progressive city leaders, who have all but tion as to how to actually land a job.
and other projectiles at law enforcement. promised violent protesters that they can act For students with families that The Perfect Solution for the
have high stocks of social capital, the
“In all 59 officers were injured throughout with impunity.
collective failure to tailor undergrad-
Portland-Federal Standoff
the day with one of those being hospitalized,” Portland recently imposed sweeping restric-
uate experiences to real-world reali- In his otherwise excellent analysis
the police department reported, and “injuries tions on when police can use tear gas to dis- ties is less costly. Count me among of Portland’s riots, William McGurn
ranged from abrasions and bruising to burns perse protesters. Seattle passed a similar ordi- those fortunate enough to have had overlooks one thing (“Portland’s Pot-
and a torn meniscus.” nance banning tear to “put up with” an involved parent tery Barn Rule,” Main Street, July 21).
Similar scenes un- gas, blast balls and who willingly helped identify job op- The federal government should imme-
folded in Portland as other less-than-lethal diately deed all its property to the
rioters tried to tear weapons—even after city. It should then relocate to Bend,
down the fence sur- Police Chief Carmen Cleveland’s Ballpark, Social Ore. The residents will be much more
rounding the Hatfield Best warned that such polite—and less violent—than the
Distancing and Patriotism Portlandese. An added bonus: Port-
Federal Courthouse. restrictions leave offi-
Demonstrators threw cers with “no ability to I, too, had the (mis)fortune of land lawyers wanting to file suit in
spending many days and nights, federal court will face a nice, three-
Molotov cocktails Fri- safely intercede to
along with 70,000 empty seats, hour commute each way, but they will
day night, and after preserve property in watching the Indians of the 1960s, experience the wonderful scenery en
midnight one federal the midst of a large, ’70s and ’80s as described by Roger route. In time, they may even begin to
officer took “a direct violent crowd” and Cohen in “Cleveland Has Seen Empty love the benefits of civilized behavior.
hit from a commercial may “create even more Ballparks Before”(op-ed, July 23). TONY LIMA
grade firework,” an- dangerous circum- The team has now become perenni- Hayward, Calif.
other “was hit with a stances for our offi- ally competitive under its present
mortar firework,” and cers to intervene using leadership and Dolan family owner-
a third “was struck in what they have left— ship. The team made me a proud fan Pepper ...
ASSOCIATED PRESS
the head with a mortar riot shields and riot the other night when the players
stood for the national anthem with
And Salt
firework,” the Depart- batons.”
one hand on their heart and the THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
ment of Homeland Se- Federal Judge
other on their teammate’s shoulder.
curity says. Peaceful? James Robart issued The players got it right by demon-
DHS says some Protesters in Portland, Ore., July 26. an injunction against strating respect for the flag while in-
5,000 or 6,000 re- the Seattle ordinance corporating togetherness—two
turned to the scene on Sunday, threw smoke last week after the federal government ex- things we need right now to move
bombs and launched “a roughly 10-minute-long pressed similar concerns, but it’s only tempo- forward as a country. The Tribe de-
continuous firework attack against the court- rary. Other Democratic-run cities have passed serves a hand for being the first
house.” DHS says at least 20 federal officers or are pursuing similar bans. team to hit a home run before the
sustained injuries in Portland. The weekend’s events were a deliberate as- season starts.
In Louisville, Ky., a black militia that calls sault on public and private property, law en- EDWARD AUBE
Broadview Heights, Ohio
itself the “Not F— Around Coalition” lived up forcement, and public order. Lawlessness be-
to its name Saturday when a member dis- gets lawlessness, and in recent weeks we’ve
Letters intended for publication
charged a gun and accidentally struck three seen reports of vigilantes and far-right activ- should be emailed to wsj.ltrs@wsj.com.
compatriots, causing non-life-threatening in- ists joining the melee from Richmond to Phila- Please include your city, state and
juries. In Oakland, Calif., rioters set fires delphia. Local officials are allowing this disor- telephone number. All letters are sub-
downtown Saturday night, including at the der to occur, and the more it is indulged the ject to editing, and unpublished letters “Good news, Connors.
cannot be acknowledged.
Alameda County Superior Courthouse. In New worse it is likely to get. I’m elevating you to crony.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tuesday, July 28, 2020 | A17
OPINION
Higher Ed and the Fragmentation of America

By Orrin Hatch one his own virtual printing press. A counterbalance to the postmodern
S
single social-media post can reach ethic that has unseated truth as the
ome physicists believe the millions in seconds. With so many academy’s ultimate aim. And it en-
cosmos is home to an infi- competing sources of information, tails a renewed commitment to in-
nite number of bubble- it’s no wonder a shared reality has tellectual diversity, which is critical
shaped, parallel universes. fractured. to creating an environment where
The same theory could de- Just as Gutenberg’s invention free speech and heterodox ideas can
scribe today’s American politics. threatened to undermine the reli- flourish.
Somewhere between the rise of gious authority of the time, the in- We shouldn’t be afraid to pull the
cable news and social media, our ternet threatens to undermine our levers of federal and state power to
shared sense of reality splintered. secular clerisy—the journalists, aca- bring about these reforms. For de-
We live in an era of endless political demics and policy makers who cades, American taxpayers have sub-
narratives, in which the phrase “my make up the expert class in America sidized public universities, including
truth” is supposed to be taken seri- and elsewhere in the West. For de- some whose humanities and social-
ously. Algorithms built to confirm cades, they have served an impor- sciences departments look like polit-
pre-existing biases shape our social tant gate-keeping role, wielding tre- ical re-education camps. No more.
media feeds and opinions. Living in mendous power over public opinion. Legislators control the purse
our own bespoke information bub- But the internet makes it possible strings, and they can fight back by
to circumvent the gate keepers. The withholding funds from schools that
PHIL FOSTER
gate keepers’ desperate attempts to enforce unconstitutional speech
With everyone’s liberty slow the unfolding revolution and codes. They can go a step further in
keep control are proving downright strengthening academic freedom by
threatened by cancel draconian. tying federal financial support to a
culture, it’s time to restore The spirit of the Inquisition is ran afoul of the powers that be bracing political activism, many of university’s willingness to adopt
alive and well in today’s cancel cul- when he criticized the concept of these institutions have abandoned some version of the Chicago Princi-
freedom to academia. ture. The objective is not to root out “microagressions,” a core tenet of their teleological mission. Growing ples, which protect students and
nonbelievers in the church but ideo- the woke gospel. Mr. Hiers argued blurrier by the day is the line be- professors with divergent views.
logical heretics in newsrooms and that the concept inevitably “hurts tween news and propaganda, educa- Alumni and donors also play a
bles, Americans today cannot agree universities. These institutions are diversity and tolerance” by encour- tion and indoctrination. No longer role. They can push for change by
on the existence of facts, let alone supposed to be bastions of free aging people to see the worst in trusting traditional information targeting certain programs with
what the facts are. All this has seri- speech. But in 2020 any journalist or others. For this blasphemy, he was sources—with good reason—an their gifts and by using contractual
ous implications for public discourse scholar who strays from progressive fired. alarming number of Americans turn requirements to demand a detailed
on the most difficult issues facing orthodoxy is ripe for cancellation. Through such strong-arm tactics, to fake news and conspiracy theo- accounting of how their money is
society—from racial injustice to Unlike Tyndale, no one is being newsrooms and universities silence ries, accelerating the breakdown of being used. They can also make
Covid-19. burned at the stake, but plenty are opposition within their own ranks— shared reality. their contributions contingent on a
We are living through an infor- being fired from their jobs. Take the and in the process expose their own Is there any going back? Most university’s commitment to cultivat-
mation revolution arguably more forced resignation of New York ideological corruption. Americans likely not. The secular clerisy can no ing viewpoint diversity and uphold-
disruptive than Johannes Guten- Times editorial page editor James are waking up to the realization that more turn back the wheels of inno- ing First Amendment freedoms.
berg’s printing press. Before Guten- Bennet. Mr. Bennet’s crime was not most media organizations are more vation than Rome could more than Restoring intellectual honesty to
berg, one narrative of reality pre- having the “wrong” opinion but al- interested in advancing their own five centuries ago. The answer today, our universities is key to rebuilding
dominated Western society. By lowing someone else to express agenda than reporting the facts. Ac- as it was then, is reformation. the credibility of the expert class
democratizing access to the written his—a U.S. senator who, in suggest- cording to a recent Gallup poll, only To address the politicization of and a semblance of a shared reality.
word, the press overthrew Rome’s ing the use of federal troops to pre- 41% of adults trust the media to re- our expert class, we need a complete We can debate the facts only when
monopoly on ideas and allowed vent violence amid protests, articu- port the news “fully, accurately, and reformation of the system that feeds we can trust the institutions tasked
competing interpretations to prolif- lated a position with which the fairly,” and only 48% have confi- it—the universities. That entails a to explain them. Until then, the po-
erate. That took Europe from the majority of Americans agreed, ac- dence in higher education. radical overhaul of campus culture, litical multiverse is here to stay.
Middle Ages to the modern era. It cording to polls at the time. The press and the university are including the elimination of safe
precipitated the Reformation, the The situation is even direr in ac- the institutions that are supposed to spaces, trigger warnings, speaker Mr. Hatch is chairman emeritus
Renaissance and the American ademia. Consider the case of Na- keep us tethered to an objective re- boycotts and other practices meant of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. A
Founding. thaniel Hiers, a math professor at ality—to help identify truth and dif- to stifle debate and honest inquiry. Utah Republican, he served in the
The internet gives nearly every- the University of North Texas who ferentiate fact from fiction. By em- It entails fostering a philosophical U.S. Senate, 1977-2019.
Biden May Want to Forget About the Russia Investigation

friends at MSNBC, CNN or some tended outcome, the removal of the with the Kremlin. Newly released abreast of aspects of the investiga-
other group of Democratic Party president. documents from the Senate Judi- tion. He took part in a January
activists. Inconveniently for the former ciary Committee show that after 2017 Oval Office meeting that dis-
FREE Even these can take a curious vice president, awkward reminders publication of a New York Times cussed a taped phone call between
EXPRESSION course. Last week, in a free-asso- keep popping back up unexpectedly, report headlined “Trump Campaign Michael Flynn and the Russian am-
By Gerard Baker ciative online session with repre- like the verbal eructations that Aides Had Repeated Contacts With bassador a week earlier. We know
A
sentatives of the Service Employees punctuate Mr. Biden’s remarks. Russian Intelligence,” Peter Strzok, that his boss wanted to be told ev-
s was perhaps predictable in International Union, Mr. Biden the FBI official who discussed the erything the FBI investigators
a presidential contest be- warned that the president was in- need for an “insurance policy” in were doing. We know that Susan
tween two men on the ripe citing hatred of Koreans by attack- The candidate struggles case Mr. Trump got elected, wrote Rice, Mr. Obama’s national security
side of 70, we’re into the “my ing China for covering up Covid-19. that the agency was unaware of adviser and a leading contender
memory is better than yours” “People don’t make a distinction— to field softballs from any such contacts. for Mr. Biden’s vice presidential
phase of the election campaign. as you well know—from a South friendly media. What if he • The primary source for the in- pick, was also closely involved in
Neurologists are divided on the Korean and someone from Beijing,” famous Steele dossier on Mr. reviewing aspects of the FBI’s ac-
real value of cognitive testing, but he told a panel that included a cou- were asked real questions? Trump was a Washington-based tivities.
in any case we should be less in- ple of puzzled Asian-Americans. Ukrainian émigré and think-tank What else did Mr. Biden know?
terested in whether someone can They nodded sympathetically, like scholar, not some high-level Rus- When did he first learn about the
recite with precision a string of concerned relatives at the bedside The latest information adds to sian informant. U.S. intelligence investigation? Did he receive infor-
random words than in whether he of an elderly family member rant- the mound of evidence that there agencies warned law enforcement mation from that August 2016
can demonstrate practical recall ing about the nurse who has taken was serious malfeasance by offi- that much of the supposed intelli- briefing-cum-eavesdropping opera-
of recent important events in his away his record player. cials inside the Obama administra- gence was at best bunkum, at worst tion the FBI conducted with the
life. Mr. Biden can speak knowledge- tion. Here’s what we’ve learned in disinformation supplied by the Trump campaign? Did he press for
A better test for Joe Biden right ably on the topic of Asian stereo- the past couple of weeks alone: Kremlin. the prosecution of Mr. Flynn?
now than “Person. Woman. Man. types. In 2006, when he was cogni- • At an August 2016 intelligence All this comes on top of what There are many more questions to
Camera. TV” might be “Obama. tively sharper, he offered this briefing, given for the ostensible Michael Horowitz, the Justice De- be asked of a presidential candidate
Vice president. Russia. Trump. In- socioeconomic gem: “You cannot go purpose of informing candidate partment inspector general, discov- about what he can recall of such a
vestigation.” to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts Trump about Russian interference ered late last year: FBI officials critical period in recent history.
It’s well past time Mr. Biden was unless you have a slight Indian ac- in the election, an FBI official was doctored information to get judges Mr. Biden’s widening memory
asked some hard questions about cent. I’m not joking.” present to gather intelligence on to approve Foreign Intelligence lapses were once thought by advis-
what he knew about the campaign Mr. Biden is lucky he doesn’t re- the Trump campaign. Surveillance Act warrants and ig- ers to be a critical electoral liabil-
by the administration he worked in ceive tough questions—about the • In February 2017, even as it nored or played down evidence that ity. But if he can get from here to
to paint Mr. Trump as an asset of Russia-collusion story, for instance. continued to pursue investigations undermined their investigation. All Nov. 3 assisted by a complaisant
Russian intelligence. Having spent three years talking of Trump officials on multiple lev- the while, officials leaked damaging press corps disinclined to help him
When he digitally tiptoes out about little else, the media has now els, the FBI had acknowledged it and selective information to recall those last months of the
from his Delaware fastness, the for- pushed the story down the memory had no evidence to support the friendly media to convince the Obama administration, the failing
mer vice president is typically hole, since it was widely discred- central claim of its inquiry: that country they were on to something. memory may turn out to be his
tossed some gentle softballs from ited and failed to generate its in- Trump team members had worked We know Mr. Biden was kept greatest asset.
Down Under Doubles Down on Checking China

By John Lee with Secretary of State Mike deeply unsettling. But if the objec- takes the lead, from strategic pos- leave Australia fluttering in the
A
Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark tive is to persuade allies to step up ture to developing offensive capabil- breeze.
ustralian Foreign Minister Esper. Virtual meetings are the and carry their weight, then that is ities and operating the military as- Mr. Trump might lead an unpre-
Marise Payne and Defense norm. The decision to travel to the exactly what Australia is doing. sets jointly. Australia can’t push dictable administration, but his de-
Minister Linda Reynolds will U.S. says something about how im- Like many countries in the Indo- back against China alone. In other termination in this fight is not in
meet their American counterparts portant America is to Australian se- Pacific mugged by reality, Australia words, Australia has doubled down question. There’s also a growing
Tuesday in Washington for annual curity and prosperity—and about has been on a journey with China. on the alliance as its best option. consensus among allies that the
meetings known as Ausmin. Then the threat China poses to both The pandemic has focused minds on pandemic has changed the relation-
they will fly home to Australia and countries. what must be done. The Communist ship between Washington and Bei-
quarantine for two weeks to mini- It is also evidence that the Trump Party under Xi Jinping is nothing if Trump challenges allies jing in ways that will last longer
mize the spread of Covid-19—a re- administration’s managing of allies, not a devotee of the Leninist pre- than any one administration.
quirement for those arriving from at least in Asia and the Pacific, has cept: Probe with bayonets and if you to pull their weight, and All of this suggests that this
abroad. more to commend it than critics encounter mush, proceed; if you en- Australia steps up with week’s meetings will be one of the
It is extraordinary that the Aus- concede. It is true that staunch allies counter steel, withdraw. Good will most important in many years.
tralians are willing to tolerate two such as Japan and Australia find the has little currency. Timidity will only courage and resolve. There will be differences between
weeks of inconvenience to meet president’s unpredictable style invite Beijing to demand greater the two countries, as is expected be-
subservience. tween a superpower and a smaller
It is in this spirit that Australia Moreover, it is significant that one. For example, Australians la-
released its 2020 Strategic Defense Canberra is choosing to do this ment diminished American influence
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY DOW JONES & COMPANY Update earlier this month. The com- when relations between Washington in regional institutions such as the
Rupert Murdoch Robert Thomson
Executive Chairman, News Corp Chief Executive Officer, News Corp
mitment to spend roughly $400 bil- and Beijing are more hostile than at East Asian Summit, which Mr.
Matt Murray Almar Latour
lion (in U.S. dollars) on national de- any point since before Richard Nixon Trump didn’t attend in 2019. That
Editor in Chief Chief Executive Officer and Publisher fense over the next decade, went to China in 1972. China has provided a pulpit for Beijing to bully
Neal Lipschutz Karen Miller Pensiero DOW JONES MANAGEMENT: including almost $190 billion ear- also turned up the pressure by im- its neighbors and extend its narra-
Deputy Editor in Chief Managing Editor Ramin Beheshti, Chief Technology Officer; marked for capability enhancements, posing trade sanctions on products tive of American absence.
Natalie Cerny, Chief Communications Officer;
Jason Anders, Chief News Editor; Louise Story, Chief
Kamilah Mitchell-Thomas, Chief People Officer; is eye-catching. But as important is such as Australian barley. Regard- Chinese diplomats frequently
News Strategist, Product & Technology Officer
Edward Roussel, Chief Innovation Officer; what Australia plans to spend the less, Australia and Japan under mock and dismiss the 1951 security
Thorold Barker, Europe; Elena Cherney, News Christina Van Tassell, Chief Financial Officer money on: long-range and hyper- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have treaty Anzus as a relic of the Cold
Features & Special Projects; Andrew Dowell, Asia;
Anthony Galloway, Video & Audio; Brent Jones,
OPERATING EXECUTIVES: sonic missiles, unmanned combat emerged as the southern and north- War. But provocations by the Com-
Kenneth Breen, Commercial;
Culture, Training & Outreach; Alex Martin, Print & Jason P. Conti, General Counsel;
vehicles and cyber capabilities. This ern anchors of the American re- munist Party in China have given the
Writing; Michael W. Miller, Features & Weekend; Tracy Corrigan, Chief Strategy Officer; can be explained only by a desire to gional alliance system. alliance renewed purpose. Messrs.
Emma Moody, Standards; Shazna Nessa, Visuals; Frank Filippo, Print Products & Services; counter the People’s Liberation As someone who served in the Pompeo and Esper and Ms. Payne
Matthew Rose, Enterprise; Michael Siconolfi, Kristin Heitmann, Chief Commercial Officer;
Investigations; Stephen Wisnefski, Professional News Nancy McNeill, Corporate Sales;
Army. The goal is to make China Australian government during the and Ms. Reynolds will discuss a
Gerard Baker, Editor at Large Thomas San Filippo, Customer Service; think twice about expanding its mar- last year of President Obama’s ad- common objective: ensuring that the
Paul A. Gigot, Editor of the Editorial Page;
Josh Stinchcomb, Advertising Sales; tial reach and presence in the Indo- ministration and the first year of the Communist Party meets collective
Suzi Watford, Chief Marketing Officer; Pacific. current one, I can attest that the ob- steel whenever it probes and pushes.
Daniel Henninger, Deputy Editor, Editorial Page Jonathan Wright, International
Far from retreating into isolation- stacle to greater Australian courage
WALL STREET JOURNAL MANAGEMENT: Professional Information Business:
Joseph B. Vincent, Operations; Christopher Lloyd, Head; ism, Australia is reaching out of its wasn’t a lack of faith in U.S. power Mr. Lee is a senior fellow at the
Larry L. Hoffman, Production Ingrid Verschuren, Deputy Head comfort zone—defending the conti- but doubts about American resolve. Hudson Institute and the U.S. Stud-
EDITORIAL AND CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS: nent—and looking to help alter the Canberra wouldn’t contemplate such ies Centre in Sydney. He was senior
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036 balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. bold moves and risk punishment national security adviser to the Aus-
Telephone 1-800-DOWJONES
But this is possible only if America from China if America were likely to tralian foreign minister, 2016-18.

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