essentially it is a self-indulgent exercise:ntrivial in conception and a glitterynmess in execution. But, as with manyncontemporary novels, beneath ThenCoup’s surface badness, there is a profoundnbadness.nJ: aul Elmer More’s image of “an explosionnin a cesspool” is an effective onenfor the state of literary fiction in thenperiod since Lady Chatterley’s Lovernhas been legal merchandise and a middle-brown”masterpiece” in America. Itnis too bad that he shot it off at DosnPassos’ Manhattan Transfer; the ricochetnperforated More and the New Humanistncritical program he, IrvingnBabbitt and Stuart Sherman had advocated.nAn infusion of New Humanistn”classical spirit” might not automaticallynraise John Updike or Joseph Hellerninto the literary pantheon. But the reappearancenof certain dead critics wouldnstill have a “chilling effect” that couldnbe highly positive. Bad novels at leastnHow to Wreck a RuinnJack Newfield and Paul DuBrul:nThe Abuse of Power: The PermanentnGovernment and the Pall ofnNew York City; Viking Press; NewnYork.nby David PietruszanIn examining the history of the GermannWeimar Republic scholars oftennprobe the frustrations of that proudnnation over its humiliating World WarnI defeat and its resultant search fornscapegoats. Jews, Social Democrats,nanyone connected with the actual signingnof the hated Armistice could benblamed.nSuch a fall from glory was traumatic,nand so too was the bankruptcy of thenCity of New York in 1975. Proud andnMr. Pietrusza is an historian and a freelancencritic.n18 inChronicles or Culturencould be rendered less offensive.nBut the badness of individual novelsntranscends the battles of critical schools.nBad novels are all alike in being emptynat their core. In Updike’s case this oddnvacuousness has been disguised by virtuosity,nespecially in his straightforwardnautobiographical fiction. The void isncamouflaged by vocabulary. In spite ofnall the theological references, his charactersnare soulless and unmemorable—nincluding Rabbit Angstrom of the clevernname.nHowever, successful fiction is notnjust a question of “characters that live.”nThe work must embody a literary personalitynof its own, not of the author’s,nbut something which is independentlyncoherent. Good fiction is more a psychologicalnthan an intellectual achievement.nJust how it is achieved remains inscrutable.nBut should the old New Humanismnbe worth revamping perhaps Dr.nJoyce Brothers should join Plato amongnits guides. Dnprofligate, New York fell hard when itncollapsed. Those who believed the NewnYork way of seemingly limitless governmentnwas morally and financially correctnfound it hard to stare at the blindingnglare of reality.nThe authors of The Abuse of Power,nVillage Voice Senior Editor Jack Newfieldnand former city planner Paul Du­nBrul possess the stubborn shame of thenvanquished. Their dreams for urbannUtopia have collapsed. They look fornscapegoats, although real villains areneasy enough to find, slinging pseudopopulistncharges around about banks,ninsurance companies, federal officials,nand the Sunbelt. Wrapping up theirnthesis in the best melodramatic prosenthis side of Jack Anderson, they hopenthe public will buy their essays of instantnrevisionism.nFirst, though, let us examine wherenthey are on target. The Tammany club­nnnhouse system is not dead; neither is anrich system of patronage and outrightncorruption. The list of elected officialsnand party leaders who have been indictednin recent years is staggering — StatenDemocratic Chairman Patrick Cunningham,nTammany Leader Carmine DenSapio, Water Commissioner JamesnMarcus, Congressmen Bertram Podellnand Frank Brasco, Queens Democraticnleader Matt Troy, Cultural Affairs CommissionernIrving Goldman, AssemblymannAlan Hochberg, State Senator andnJudge Seymour Thaler—the list goesnon and on in truly sickening fashion.nAnd there is the matter of policencorruption. The famous case of NYPDnplainclothesman Frank Serpico and thenresultant investigation of the KnappnCommission revealed massive wrongdoing.nIncidents of police selling heroin,nproviding “hit men,” selling the identitynof police informants to the Mafianwere revealed. In a five-year periodn300 police officers were indicted.nAnd, of course, there was the matternof dishonest and misleading bookkeepingnwhich enabled New York City politiciansnlike John Lindsay and Abe Beamento hide the size of yearly deficits untilnNew York’s share of the nation’s totalnmunicipal short-term municipal debtnreached a staggering 297o.nStill there is more. The flagrant conflictsnof interest that go unpunished;nthe attorney for the Economic DevelopmentnAdministration who granted 92neviction notices for a paper company’snexpansion and three weeks later went tonwork for them; or the same agency’sncounsel who negotiated a |22 millionnno-bid contract for Yankee StadiumnParking and, yes, by the time the umpiresnyelled “Play Ball,” was on thatncompany’s payroll.nIncidents like these abound. Theynare all disgusting. Yet the authors cannotnsee that such a litany of corruptionnguarantees a feeling in the reader thatnpumping federal or state funds into thenCity is simply dumping money down anrat-hole—and still this is preciselynwhat they want, more money fromn