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Letters: Saul Alinsky; Apple’s supply chain

Kai Ryssdal Jan 27, 2012

Kai Ryssdal: Letters starts today with a clip from Newt Gingrich at last night’s Republican debate.

Newt Gingrich: It’ll be an American campaign open to every American who prefers a paycheck to food stamps, who prefers the Declaration of Independence to Saul Alinsky, and who prefers a strong national security to trying to appease our enemies.

Saul Alinsky. Well-known community organizer of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Noted figure of the American left. And a frequent source of comparison in this campaign — not just by Mr. Gingrich either.

Our interview Monday about Mr. Alinksy drew some letters, including this one, from Robert Swanson of Pine Mountain, Ga.

Robert Swanson: Any story about Alinsky that doesn’t even mention his book “Rules for Radicals,” describes him as “quite a conservative guy,” and omits how his methods have been used by the Occupy movement, isn’t up to Marketplace standards.

We had Charles Duhigg from the New York Times on yesterday to talk about the poor working conditions in factories that supply parts for Apple, and how if anything’s going to change, consumers have to adjust their expectations away from a perfect new iPhone every six months.

Leslie Dickinson wrote from Mt. Airy, Md.

Leslie Dickinson: Is it the chicken or the egg? Are Apple and the news media creating this consumer demand or just responding to it? If the product is so wonderful and innovative, won’t consumers be willing to wait for it?

Last but not least, “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.” In a story this week, we said it was a Beach Boys song. Not true, though they did do a cover version. It was actually a Jan and Dean original, 1964.

Here you go.

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