Dr. Ben

We had family time today, reading this dispatch from Ben.
His name is revered in my family these days. - Allan


Dear Peter, Matej, Maros, Johannes, all my friends
in Bratislava and Vienna:

Happy Easter to you all!

I am having the most wonderful trip, meeting with
students almost every day. They are eager now to
hear the ideas that I talked about for 25 years
before I came to Slovakia in 2001. Things sure have
changed! I am looking forward to telling you about
all this.

I have not figured out what the Ron Paul people or
campaign are doing. I cannnot believe that it has
dissolved, but I just don't see much. It is amazing
how many people have not heard of him!

That brings usp my most disturbing observation of
this trip: that Americans receive almost no news
of the rest of the world in the media--newspapers,
news magazines, and especially television. The lack
of any news of the rest of the world, or even of the
state of the American economy is truly startling! I
was in Philadelphia for 3 days, which I mostly spent
relaxing and watching news stations. It is utterly
amazing. One gets much more news on Euronews every day
than Americans get a week from Fox, CNN, or MSNBC.
Even CNN's world news Europe gives more news than Fox
gives over here. One hears a lot of the "dumbing down"
of American education, but I had no idea that it
could affect even public news so much, too.

Obama's speech on race was one of the finest I have
seen since John F. Kennedy. But I am not so sure he
is sincere---or what his ideas will mean for the future.

Well, there will be vey much to talk of when I get back.
I will arrive back on April 9th in the morning.

I am looking forward to seeing you all and telling
you about it.

Ben