Since the Justice didn’t publish my article on Robert Reich (they feel like they’ve covered him enough already), here it is world:

He’s been called many things in his political career, but no one has ever referred to former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich as a French runway model. Surprisingly enough, that was the analogy the former Clinton insider used to explain globalization in his talk on Monday night.

Reich’s talk, sponsored by Students For A Just Society, drew over 200 students, the majority of whom were Brandeis first years. Reich spoke for one hour on the concept of globalization, a term that, he claimed, “has gone from obscure to meaningless in a very short amount of time.”

“Globalization is all around us,� Reich stated, “the widening of inequality changes the nature of the social contract in both the United States and within other countries.� He examined the issue from four different perspectives, explaining reasons for and against a US policy that supports a rising economic interconnectedness with the world.

In drawing comparisons, Reich gave an example from his life: his hips. Reich had to have both of his hips replaced due to a congenital condition. His new metal hips, which he praised highly, were constructed in Germany. “But,� he stated emphatically, “They were designed in France. I have French designer hips!�

Lamenting his inability to show off his hips to the large crown, Reich called on students to examine the issue of global development from all perspectives, emphasizing the need for social consciousness. “There is enormous student leverage,� he stated. “You learn very quickly when you’re in power that your official power is very circumscribed, very limited.� Yet, as a key demographic, students working together can cause great social and political change. “Politics feels unresponsive,� Reich declared, “but in fact it is remarkably responsive.�