HOW BAD IS UNHAPPY?

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 18

HOW BAD IS UNHAPPY?

By

WHIM WHAM

“Now, I think that — I know that the relations are bad right now,” said President Reagan. “Very bad?” he was asked. “Yes — well, not all that bad. They are unhappy ...” — On U.S.-Soviet relations, in an interview with Irish television. Great Minds (we know) express Themselves In simple Words, and few — Inferior Intellects require More Words, and long Ones, too — The Theory’s popular, and perhaps No more than Half untrue. “Bad right now” the President said. What if the President had Reduced his Three short Words to One, The stark and simple BAD? Always listen carefully, Sir, To the Syllables they add! “Yes” — very Bad — the Great Mind half Agreed, then Presidentially, “Not all that Bad” — how Bad was That, If Bad at all, essentially? “Unhappy” was the Word he found And settled for, eventually! Unhappy Superpowers! How can They talk — or live — at Ease? Too few, too simple are the Words In Both their Languages — Confined to “bad right now” (in Russian) AndJ"Nyet” (in Reaganese). I-