Those of us in Arkansas are living through an amusing demonstration that being rich doesn't make you smart. I will eventually get to the point.

Sam Walton proved that the U.S. trailer trash retail market is wider if not deeper than the world's petroleum reserves.

His descendants, and the humorless professionals who have taken over his descendant corporate structures that must make a Faberge egg look like an Eight Ball predictor, seem to occupy themselves with choking the trashy geese that laid their golden eggs, killing the union movements that would put money in the hands of their most likely future customers (many of whom would be their employees), and fighting the transfer taxes that would finance the local, state, and national governments that have made their personal fortunes possible, out of the money they will not have time to spend in their lifetimes.

Lately, Sam's heirs have funded a "Foundation" at the "education department" at the U. of A. at Fayetteville which publishes editorials at the Wall Street Journal, and seems bound to protect their wealth while adversely educating their future consumers.

There is a parallel tale at a more local (to me) level, maybe a couple of levels of magnitude in stock value down. I was there. Didn't invest. I'm so smart.

A fellow named Sheridan Garrison assumed the reins of his father's trucking business somewhere between Kennedy and Nixon. Northwest Arkansas had developed into a trucking power because Don Tyson's dad had developed an industry for the export of frozen (now called "fresh") chicken carcasses. Someone had to ship something back.

Sheridan had the wisdom to fold his father's business when Ronald Reagan visited the virtues of deregulation on the trucking industry. Being a bound Republican, Sheridan blamed it on the Teamsters. After a couple of years of Republican virtue, Sheridan began buying back in the early 80's his competitors assets for pennies on the dollars they had enjoyed during Regan's deregulation.

What had been Garrison Freight became Arkansas Freight became American Freight became Fed-Ex. Sheridan survived a second wife who went to France to shop for furniture, and Parkinsons implants. To this day, his kids have never pretended to be important.

Makes them smarter than Sam's kids.

There is no one so foolish about money as a rich man.

I'm a pretty big fan of Warren Buffett (though not the idol-worshipping kind who take an annual pilgrimage to Omaha) and his no-nonsense approach to business, but this is disappointing. I just might take advantage of my 2 shares of Class B and head out to Omaha for the next annual meeting.

Why should a white Aussie worry about

anyone when the culture of his own country is being torn up by illegals.

I am only the third person in eleven hours to respond with an opinion. That speaks volumes.

I am not planning to sell any of my investments in China.