Looked at another way, Yugoslavia is an underdeveloped country that has retained the party dictatorship of European Communism, added the social democratic institution of self-management, but surrendered its economic planning to the vagaries of a world market dominated by the developed capitalist countries, the whole thing barely held together by the ad hoc improvisations of the aged Marshall Tito.  (Minneapolis Tribune, Sun., July 23, 1978)

Dying for a mirage: ­ Yesterday I saw Ellen McLaughlin’s play “Helen,” based on Euripides’ play of the same name…  Just like in real life, the bloodiest wars are fought for things that exist only in men’s minds: “eternal Israel,” “free Palestine,” “jihad,” “Tamil homeland,” “Aryan supremacy,” “the American way of life,” etc. Pretty perceptive, that Euripides. I hope he writes some more. 2002.03.24