Bennington Banner in Bennington, Vermont

Moynihan's valedictory questions moral energy critique

In a Harvard farewell Moynihan warned that American moral energy turns complex issues into simplistic moralism touching crime corruption and social policy. He questions if activists or leaders miscast policies and whether success breeds neglect of those less fortunate, while naming race horses and the SST as examples. The piece notes the difficulty of parsing Moynihan's intent.