Eco -Spasm
Report
econimic
remedies
pe Eco-Spasm Report, by Alvin Toffler.
Bantam Books, New York, N.Y. $1.50
Alvin Toffler is the author who gave us
a bestseller and a new phrase with his
book Future Shock. His new book is a
rush-job paperback printing of his article
"Beyond Depression" which appeared in
Esquire Magazine in February. The article
generated substantial reader response, so
Toffler clarified and enlarged his original
piece, a move that sought to correct what
one reader saw as the major flaw in
Toffler's article: "Too much depression
and not enough beyond."
Toffler writes that, although our
economy is on a collision course, we will
probably not see the final act as a reprise
of either -of the earlier two major
calamities of the 20th Century. Those
two were 1923 when the German
inflation drove the rate of exchange
upward from nine marks for one U.S.
dollar in January 1919 to 4.2 trillion
marks for a U.S. dollar in November,
1923. And 1929 when the crash and
massive unemployment made money a
rarity in American society.
Economic pattern
Toffler develops scenarios of each of
those economic patterns as they
conceivably might occur in the next
couple of years, but he rejects them on
varied bases; most having to do with the
differences in social conventions and
communications that have taken place
since then. .
What he does foresee is the
"eco-spasm," his own term for an
economic demise based on the breakup of
whole nations when the money that
vince Boucher
props them up explodes. In a world of
multi-national corporations, petrodollars,
Eurodollars and sloshing money in a sea
of floating interest, Toffler argues that
economies would fluctuate wildly
between both ends of the spectrum.
International problems
In sum, Toffler says economic
problems are no longer to be confined to
one nation. The interlocking of
government, public and corporate monies
that seem to be untraceable to any one
source because of rapid turnover must be
brought under control before they do us
in, he believes. Most of Toffler's
suggested remedies involve more
worldwide restrictions, look for
long-range solutions, make use of future
planning and return control of much of
the economic segments to local levels
where they can be more actively watched.
Toffler's book is valuable in many
ways. He explains many of the current
economic realities of our society, he
provides a lot of information in
easy-to-read form and he provides an
extensive booklist for further reading.
However, the rush job shows in places
when Toffler seems to contradict himself
without explaining things adequately.
Finally, the nature of the U.S. economy
seems to make one so pessimistic about
the future, that one wonders if Toffler's
remedies could ever be brought about.
That same pessimism makes one believe
anything bad could happen. Toffler might
be right.
'Physical Graffiti tiresome effort
Review by Steve Cogley
. There are only two things I would consider
waiting 18 months for. One would be a passing
grade in French and the other is a Led Zeppelin
album.
After hearing the group's latest album,
Physical Graffiti, my list may be narrowed down
to the French grade.
I wanted to like the album badly and when
"Custard He" started things going I thought it
would be easy. But "The Rover" started to drag
and "In My Time Of Dying" was so tiring that
listening to static would have been more exciting.
Most of the melodies of the songs are catchy
but Zeppelin pounds them in instead of letting
them soak. These melodies could have been
expanded to enable a fantastic album to emerge.
After two and one-half sides of super-heavy
metal, an acoustic number "Bron-YR-Aur" is
faded up and two minutes later back down.
Why? It's nice, but it's totally out of place.
Maybe if lead guitarist Jimmy Page had been
granted an entire side of acoustic work, it would
have been more effective.
Page is excellent regardless of his
surroundings. He is, without doubt, one of the
few musicians who can handle all types of work.
Some decent slide and acoustic accompany his
usual excellence at playing lead. Most groups find
it necessary to have duo lead guitarists (if not
more) but this isn't the case with Led Zeppelin.
The other members of the group don't fare as
well on Physical Graffiti John Paul Jones adds
some good bass lines but only when he escapes
repetition, which isn't often. Robert Plant's
vocals are no good. After four sides of his ooohs,
ahhhs and yeahs one is convinced he had a bad
stomach ache. Drummer John Bonham does
nothing but pound. During a few songs, it's not
too distracting, but after an hour and one-half, it
grows tiresome. And that, in essence, sums up
the album.
Unless you're a fanatical Zeppelin fan or like
to throw your money away, this is one to pass
up.
68 YEARS AGO
March 11, 1915-"Undisturbed by the threats of the Blue Print
editors to have a new ventilation system installed on the fourth
floor of University Hall, the editors of the Cornhusker are working
night and day. And "night and day" is the literal description, since
the typewriters are clicking away in this out-of-the-way place from
late at night till early in the morning."
. "The question of whether rowing is injurious to college oarsmen
is to be determined by the medical supervisors of Harvard athletics.
It was announced that X-ray photographs were being taken of the
hearts of members of the varsity and freshman eight-oared crews.
These examinations will be continued for several years."
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thur.sday, march 13, 1975
daily nebraskan
page 17