Hello and welcome. Glad you’re here. Today is Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
1595: William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” is first thought to have been performed; it was officially published in early 1597.
1845: Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” is first published in The Evening Mirror newspaper.
1879: Custer Battlefield National Monument established in Montana.
1886: Karl Benz patents the “Benz Patent-Motorwagen” in Karlsruhe, Germany, the world’s first automobile with an internal combustion engine.
1892: The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta.
1942: First broadcast of Roy Plomley’s Desert Island Discs airs on BBC Radio.
1944: The USS Missouri, the last battleship commissioned by the U.S. Navy, is launched.
1959: Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is released.
1966: Snowstorm in the northeast U.S. kills 165.
1983: “Down Under” by Men At Work hits #1 on the UK pop chart.
2009: Rod Blagojevich, governor of Illinois, is removed from office after being convicted of corruption charges.
Birthdays Today include: Thomas Paine; President William McKinley; Anton Chekov; John D. Rockefeller; Barney Oldfield; W.C.Fields; Allen B. DuMont (perfected the cathode ray tube); Victor Mature; John Forsythe; James Jamerson (Motown bassist); Tom Selleck; Oprah Winfrey; and past Speaker Paul Ryan.
* * *
I was just thinking the other day that so many Democrats suffer from what I call “Yappy Little Dog Syndrome.” They bark at anything or nothing at all. In the cases of both Robert Reich and an actual diminutive canine, it’s a fearful reaction to the world around them, which is so very prevalent among Democrats these days. It’s that fear that drives them to seek government control of every breath you take, every move you make. (Sorry, Sting.)
So imagine the smile on my face when along comes Powerline’s Scott Johnson this morning, with a parallel to Reich in this gem:
When my late friend and college classmate Berney Strauss resurrected Dartmouth’s moribund humor magazine The Jack-o-Lantern in the fall of 1972, he showed me an old issue with a cartoon by Robert Reich, Dartmouth ’68. Berney was recruiting me to contribute to the first issue to be published under his leadership.
As I recall, the Reich cartoon depicted a small male dog looking longingly at a big female dog with question marks in a thought bubble over the little dog. I must have known at the time that Reich was the little dog — maybe Berney explained it to me — and the cartoon has in any event remained etched in my memory…
My own experience with this type of personality comes into play here.
At one time, I actually had a boss who exhibited many of the same traits. Here was someone who not only shared physical characteristics with Reich (he didn’t even come up to the armpits of my 6’2” frame), but he often as not tried to self-validate by shouting down everyone in the room. The folks whom he couldn’t intimidate physically (which amounted to everyone), he tried to intimidate with his prickly and overbearing manner. I’m convinced he didn’t even know he was doing it at the time. What is more damning, however, was the fact that any time he opened his mouth, he was quite successful in showing, however unwittingly, that he hadn’t a clue on the topic at hand. Suffice to say, he didn’t last very long in his supervisor’s role, thankfully.
A comment on Scott’s piece says:
Mr. Reich’s Wiki page claims that, due to his diminutive stature, as a teenager he sought the protection of older boys. One supposes that it was his personality, the abrasive, condescending, and dismissive qualities, that forced him to need bodyguards at such a young age rather than his stature.
That pretty much describes my old boss. It amazed me then, and still does, that, given the attitude he showed as a matter of baseline personality, someone didn’t succumb to the temptation to mash the guy into a fine, pulpy substance. So, too, Reich. Far as I can see, Reich’s stated history of seeking the protection of older boys is of a piece with his attitudes regarding the purpose of government. Like the yappy little mutt, he’s fearful of anything he can’t control, or at least intimidate, which, in its turn, leads him to fear a free and open economy, for example.
It is interesting that Reich labels himself an economist, since that is the area in which his educational record seems weakest. He has:
- A BA in history.
- An MA in philosophy, politics, and economics.
- A JD in law.
It’s rather like Bill Nye calling himself a scientist.
It’s notable, the number of qualified economics majors who have indicated Reich’s economic ideas can be found on any stable floor in lesser quantity and smelling a good deal better. The so-called Affordable Care Act, which he spent so much effort promoting, for example. But like the little mutt who won’t shut up, he keeps barking. Fortunately, we are in a situation where he can be easily ignored, and we hope he never has the power of government in his hands again.
Look, I’m not Randy Newman. I’m not about someone’s height per se. One need not be four-foot-two to have these personality traits. But if Reich is an example, it does seem to help. There are, in my view, two means by which one can be considered “small.” Reich fits both those criteria.
Thought for the day: Success isn’t obtained by asking permission.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
Recommended: Pardon, Your Narrative Is Slipping
There are things going on that the left would rather you didn’t have a clear picture of. Being informed is a crucial advantage. We can help — become a PJ Media VIP member. Not only do you support the reporters and writers who support YOU, but you also get 60% off the regular price by going to this link and using the promo code FIGHT.
