Power: The Currency of Washington

The New York Times published this letter of mine on Thursday:

To the Editor:

David Segal writes that “at bottom, Washington’s social economy is based on a currency all its own: power and the proximity to power.”

He’s only partly right. Washington’s social scene is indeed based on power, but one achieves that power by the ability and willingness to spend other people’s money.

In short, the currency of Washington is backed by the currency taken from taxpayers.

Billy Hankins, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Unfortunately, they published it in the fashion section. I do not read the fashion section, I swear. The article I responded to showed up on my RSS feed.