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ng。 A skillful practitioner … and the Weasel was skillful … would arrange it so that a new story came out； day after day； even when nothing happened。 You got headlines like GRAND JURY UNDECIDED ON POLICEMAN'S GUILT when in fact the grand jury hadn't met yet。 But people saw the headlines； day after day； and drew their own conclusions。
The truth was； there was always a way to spin it。 At the end of the innuendo campaign； if your subject was found blameless； you could still mount a headline like GRAND JURY FAILS TO FIND POLICEMAN GUILTY or DISTRICT ATTORNEY UNWILLING TO PROSECUTE ACCUSED COP。 Headlines like that were as bad as a conviction。
And there was no way to bounce back from weeks of negative press。 Everybody remembered the accusation。 Nobody remembered the exoneration。 That was human nature。 Once you were accused； it was tough to get back to normal。
It was getting creepy； and I had a lot of bad feelings。 I was a little preoccupied； pulling into the parking lot next to the physics department at U。S。C。； when the phone rang again。 It was assistant chief Olson。
〃Peter。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃It's almost ten o'clock。 I thought you'd be down here putting the tapes on my desk。 You promised them to me。〃
〃I've been having trouble getting the tapes copied。〃
〃Is that what you've been doing？〃
〃Sure。 Why？〃
〃Because from the calls I get； it sounds like you aren't dropping this investigation；〃 Jim Olson said。 〃In the last hour； you've been out asking questions at a Japanese research institute。 Then you've interrogated a scientist who works for a Japanese research institute。 You're hanging around some Japanese seminar。 Let's get it straight； Peter。 Is the investigation over； or not？〃
〃It's over；〃 I said。 〃I'm just trying to get the tapes copied。〃
〃Make sure that's all it is；〃 he said。
〃Right； Jim。〃
〃For the good of the whole department … and the individuals in it … I want this thing behind us。〃
〃Right； Jim。〃
〃I don't want to lose control of this situation。〃
〃I understand。〃
〃I hope you do；〃 he said。 〃Get the copies made； and get your ass down here。〃 And he hung up。
I parked the car； and went into the physics building。
？
I waited at the top of the lecture hall while Phillip Sanders finished his lecture。 He stood in front of a blackboard covered with plex formulas。 There were about thirty students in the room； most of them seated down near the front。 I could see the backs of their heads。
Dr。 Sanders was about forty years old； one of those energetic types； in constant motion； pacing back and forth； tapping the equations on the blackboard in short emphatic jabs with his chalk as he pointed to the 〃signal covariant ratio determination〃 and the 〃factorial delta bandwidth noise。〃 I couldn't even guess what subject he was teaching。 Finally I concluded it must be electrical engineering。
When the bell rang on the hour； the class stood and packed up their bags。 I was startled： nearly everyone in the class was Asian； both men and women。 Those that weren't Oriental were Indian or Pakistani。 Out of thirty students only three were white。
〃That's right；〃 Sanders said to me later； as we walked down the hallway toward his laboratory。 〃A class like Physics 101 doesn't attract Americans。 It's been that way for years。 Industry can't find them； either。 We would be up shit creek if we didn't have the Orientals and Indians who e here to get doctorates in math and engineering； and then work for American panies。〃
We continued down some stairs； and turned left。 We were in a basement passageway。 Sanders walked quickly。
〃But the trouble is； it's changing；〃 he continued。 〃My Asian students are starting to go home。 Koreans are going back to Korea。 Taiwanese the same。 Even Indians are returning home。 The standard of living is going up in their countries； and there's more opportunity back home now。 Some of these foreign countries have large numbers of well…trained people。〃 He led me briskly down a flight of stairs。 〃Do you know what city has the highest number of Ph。D。's per capita in the world？〃
〃Boston？〃
〃Seoul； Korea。 Think about that as we rocket into the twenty…first century。〃
Now we were going down another corridor。 Then briefly outside； into sunlight； down a covered walkway； and back into another building。 Sanders kept glancing back over his shoulder； as if he was afraid of losing me。 But he never stopped talking。
〃And with foreign students going home； we don't have enough engineers to do American research。 To create new American technology。 It's a simple balance sheet。 Not enough trained people。 Even big panies like IBM are starting to have trouble。 Trained people simply don't exist。 Watch the door。〃
The door swung back toward me。 I went through。 I said； 〃But if there are all these high…tech job opportunities； won't they begin to attract students？〃
〃Not like investment banking。 Or law。〃 Sanders laughed。 〃America may lack engineers and scientists； but we lead the world in the production of lawyers。 America has half the lawyers in the entire world。 Think of that。〃 He shook his head。
〃We have four percent of the world population。 We have eighteen percent of the world economy。 But we have fifty percent of the lawyers。 And thirty…five thousand more every year； pouring out of the schools。 That's where our productivity's directed。 That's where our national focus is。 Half our TV shows are about lawyers。 America has bee Land of Lawyers。 Everybody suing。 Everybody disputing。 Everybody in court。 After all； three quarters of a million American lawyers have to do something。 They have to make their three hundred thousand a year。 Other countries think we're crazy。〃
He unlocked a door。 I saw a sign that said ADVANCED IMAGING LABORATORY in hand…painted lettering； and an arrow。 Sanders led me down a long basement hallway。
〃Even our brightest kids are badly educated。 The best American kids now rank twelfth in the world； after the industrialized countries of Asia and Europe。 And that's our top students。 At the bottom； it's worse。 One…third of high school graduates can't read a bus schedule。 They're illiterate。〃
We came to the end of the hallway； and turned right。 〃And the kids I see are lazy。 Nobody wants to work。 I teach physics。 It takes years to master。 But all the kids want to dress like Charlie Sheen and make a million dollars before they're twenty…eight。 The only way you can make that kind of money is in law； investment banking； Wall Street。 Places where the game is paper profits； something for nothing。 But that's what the kids want to do； these days。〃
〃Maybe at U。S。C。〃
〃Trust me。 Everywhere。 They all watch television。〃
He swung another door open。 Still another corridor。 This one smelled moldy； damp。
〃I know； I know。 I'm old…fashioned；〃 Sanders said。 〃I still believe that every human being stands for something。 You stand for something。 I stand for something。 Just being on this planet； wearing the clothes we wear； doing the work we do； we each stand for something。 And in this little corner of the world；〃 he said； 〃we stand for cutting the crap。 We analyze network news and see where they have been fucking around with the tape。 We analyze TV mercials and show where the tr