mark dolliver's takes

an optimistic elite: In Which We Find Declinism in a Sorry State Declinism has fallen on hard times. You might say that's to be expected when so many social indicators are pointing upwards. On the other hand, good times are the vantage point from which one can comfortably wallow in images of future disaster. And if grown-ups have learned not to look gift horses in the mouth, it's the birthright of every grad student to opine about the decline of the West, East and anyplace in between. Thus, declinism will be humbled by a MORI/Economist poll conducted among "young high-fliers" as they vied for a student prize given by a big-deal management symposium in Switzerland. "A relatively optimistic elite is emerging," concluded The Economist as it sifted through the responses of these moguls-to-be from around the world. Sixty percent think international economic growth will be higher over the next 25 years; 61 percent expect higher growth in their own countries. Fifty-one percent think the next 25 years will be more peaceful than the 20th century, versus 17 percent feeling it will be less so. At home, they foresee a decline in racial discrimination (57 percent) and a rise in sexual equality (81 percent). Asked whether the new century will see stable government in their nations, 33 percent said it's "very likely" and 38 percent said it's "fairly likely." Nor do they expect these regimes to be autocratic: 74 percent think freedom of speech in their countries will increase during the next quarter-century, and 82 percent believe "the role of market forces in the way the economy runs" will grow. That expectation is reflected in another of the survey's findings, in which respondents ranked six institutions "in order of their likely power in the world" over the next 25 years. Combining first- and second-place votes, Microsoft led the list (tallying 52 percent), followed by Time Warner/AOL (45 percent) and the International Monetary Fund (44 percent). Trailing well behind were "the government of your country" (21 percent), Greenpeace (16 percent) and the Roman Catholic church (6 percent). kids vs. selves: The Parental Time Crunch Parents feel short of time, but not necessarily because they want to spend more with their kids. In a survey by Offspring magazine and the National Parenting Association, 79 percent of mothers who work full-time said they don't have enough time for themselves; 48 percent don't have enough for their kids. The pattern was similar among fathers who work full-time, with 53 percent short of time for themselves and 36 percent lacking time with their kids. What if parents had an extra hour in the day? Forty-eight percent of mothers would use it for themselves, while 39 percent would spend it with family; 24 percent of fathers would use it for themselves, while 59 percent would spend it with family. As you can see from the chart, the work-and-family balancing act is parents' paramount daily concern, though the task of instilling moral values isn't far behind. And compared to a 1996 survey, "declining family/moral values" has moved past "quality of schooling" when parents are asked to cite their "biggest concerns or worries." mixed blessings: Those Simpatico Pets, The Romance of Soy, Etc. You want to know what a woman is feeling? Don't ask the people in her household. Ask the family pet. In a survey of pet owners fielded by International Communications Research, 42 percent of women said "their pet is better attuned to their moods than other family members." By comparison, 25 percent of male respondents felt the same way. Commissioned by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, the study found older folks especially devoted to their animals. Among those age 65 and older, 53 percent said "they would be more likely to take care of a sick pet first, than themselves, if both happened to be sick at the same time." Even health-conscious consumers have trouble shaking off the impression that soy-based products will taste like mildly fermented Birkenstocks. A campaign for Silk soymilk (via Carmichael Lynch of Minneapolis) works gamely to efface that notion. Note that "soy" substitutes for "boy" in the headline--as if to suggest to women that the product is no more unpalatable than the men they put up with. Small print in another ad in the series addresses readers who can't tolerate cow's milk: "Lactose free. All others pay cash." A question for our times, as posed in a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll: "If you were playing cards with Al Gore or George W. Bush, who do you think would be most likely to cheat?" The assumption is that one or both would cheat--the only question being which is the more likely to do so. Readily adopting that premise, 28 percent picked Bush and 30 percent cited Gore. Ten percent volunteered "neither," while a depraved 5 percent said they would be the ones pulling aces out of their sleeves. This week's honors for Best Canine Costume in an Auto-Insurance Spot go to Geico. Why is Fido wearing the protective suit? Because his owner patronizes one of Geico's pricey competitors. As such, a voiceover suggests, his bills are now "too hot to handle." The Martin Agency of Richmond, Va., created the spot. HUM Music + Sound Design of Santa Monica, Calif., assisted with suitable dog-in-a-firesuit mood music. And our Truly Scary Thought of the Week comes in a report by The NPD Group, which says children as young as two are expressing preferences for the clothes their parents should buy them. As for kids in the 6-to-10 range, nearly 90 percent of mothers said "the child influences what is purchased for them." Indeed, NPD found "kid requests are substantially more influential than advertising" in guiding mothers' clothing purchases for the small fry

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