Like father, like son?

[Roger Bissell]

The current issue of NewsWEAK has a rather interesting article on the Baby Boom Generation approaching retirement. Here is the URL for the online version of the article at MSNBC.com:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10855757/site/newsweek/

However, its author Howard Fineman just couldn't resist getting in a dig at Ayn Rand. He referred to Boomsday -- the new satirical novel by Christopher Buckley (William F's son) -- in which "a twenty-something 'Ayn Rand type' reacts to looming federal bankruptcy by mounting a political campaign to demand that all boomers do the patriotic thing: commit suicide at 70." Arrrrrgh. I am going to send in a brief comment, after I cool down a bit. Right now I'm just really steamed about the inter-generational pissing on Rand's grave by the Buckley family. As Michael would say, "Dayaaam."

REB

[Roger Bissell]

I enjoy a good satire (at least) as much as the next person, and

being a Boomer just two years behind our two most recent

Presidents, I will probably read Christopher Buckley's novel,

"Boomsday," now that your writer, Howard Fineman, has

brought it to my attention. But my gosh, didn't Buckley go

just a bit over the top in labeling as an "Ayn Rand type," a

young person urging the elderly to commit suicide so as to

avoid national bankruptcy? I challenge anyone on this

planet to show how Buckley's little literary dido is anything

other than a smear attack on Ayn Rand, who was an arch-

champion of people's right to life, and an arch-enemy of

any and all attempts to get people to engage in self-sacrifice,

let alone suicide. Now, if Buckley had used a "twenty-

something" Teddy Kennedy type to advocate drafting the

elderly to cure our budget deficits, that is a plan I could

heartily support and a book I could heartily recommend!

(Disclaimer: the previous sentence was intended as satire.)

Roger Bissell

Orange, CA