Scaping goats can be hazardous

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In the second sentence of his latest business column, billionaire Steve Forbes loses his way with this observation, “…but the overall direction is heading toward catastrophe.”

Whaa-?

It’s not really bothersome to hear some yokel make such a gaff, but wouldn’t you think Forbes could afford a copy editor to protect him from embarrassment? Maybe his proofers and staffers are afraid to face him with grammar.

Or maybe I’m wrong—perhaps a direction could head toward something. Can a direction lose its direction?

In the same piece, Forbes says, “…governments are doing exactly what their forebearers did in the 1930’s…”

Really? Forebearers? Maybe Forbes was confusing the word forebearers with the four litter-bearers rich guys like him use to get from place to place. Maybe he forgot the fairy tale about the forebears and Goldilocks. Or did I lose count?

Where are the editors? My secret hunch is that Forbes’ staff is playing a passive-aggressive game: let the old man make a fool of himself instead of asking our opinion.  The emperor forebade criticism and see where it got him?

I’ll bet you four bades that things will not go well at the editorial meeting next week. Someone’s goat will be scaped for sure

(c) 2012 A.D. by Jim Reed

jim@jimreedbooks.com

http://www.jimreedbooks.com

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