Rottenberg's Reply

My reference to Eastern Europe was intended ironically. By all means let’s consider Finland, Sweden and Denmark. These are indeed fair and decent societies; perhaps coincidentally, they are (in my judgment, to be sure) nowhere near as culturally stimulating as those benighted places where rich and poor seem always to be at each other’s throats. Drama requires conflict. And if we eliminate, say, tobacco and liquor, we may also have to learn to do without, say, Proust and jazz. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.