Word: veneering
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...people; it's people who arbitrate the application of the rules so that interpersonal relations proceed smoothly, unimpeded by the law. It's a culture that has stunted the development of strong institutions. The legal system that we have, the voluminous regulations and procedures: all these form a thin veneer of a state that seems to resemble those in the West. But beneath lies a complex web of fixers and power brokers, go-betweens and patrons, geared to make things happen?whether negotiating a business deal or tax settlement, bringing government projects to a district, or, it would seem, adding...
...byline in the New York Times Magazine last week, President Reagan condemned organized crime as "this dark, evil enemy within." He praised a commission he had appointed for exposing "the all too rarely discussed problem of those institutions and professionals--such as corrupt banks, unions or crooked lawyers--whose veneer of respectability helps make them the mainstays of organized crime...
...What nonsense. The campaign against certainty is merely the philosophical veneer for an attempt to politically marginalize and intellectually disenfranchise believers. Instead of arguing the merits of any issue, secularists are trying to win the argument by default on the grounds that the other side displays unhealthy certainty or, even worse, unseemly religiosity...
...accept a compliment. It is Keillor talking, no question. Someone says, "Good speech," and he mumbles, "Oh, it was way too long. I didn't know what I was talking about. I was just blathering." Actually, he confesses, "good" is not good enough. "Under this thin veneer of modesty lies a monster of greed. I drive away faint praise, beating my little chest, waiting to be named Sun God, King of America, Idol of Millions. I don't want to say 'Thanks, glad you liked it.' I want to say 'Rise, my people...
...resemblance to The Big Chill is impossible to miss: characters reminisce about antiwar rallies and ponder the implications of "getting caught up in the mainstream." Despite its glib predictability, the series boasts a likable cast, headed by Jane Kaczmarek and Daniel Stern, and at least a veneer of seriousness missing from most other summer entries...