I will cop to a lot of things. Being literal isn't one of them, although that may be difficult for Vulcans to detect. Nor is posting my commentaries online where others can't respond to them.
So once I am through with my productive activity, I will compose my own parable, upon which Mr. Westover will be free to expound here once again on the seen, unseen and the imagined evaporation of value, which of necessity must be premised on the assumption of a non-essential government worker.
