On Accusations of Patriotism
By · Comments“My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one’s country, not to its institutions or its office-holders”
More than anything, the United States is an idea. It is good to remember that since its inception, a rancorous debate has ensued on how to best express that idea. None today are likely to accuse any of our founding fathers of a lack of patriotism, though they certainly did of each other.
Could it be possible – barring the purely mean and self-serving voices on all sides – that both liberals and conservatives can not only consider themselves but, oddly enough, each other as patriots?
Perish the thought that there may be some common ground from which to work through the issues of the day.
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On International Women’s Day
By · Comments“What, sir, would the people of the earth be without woman? They would be scarce, sir, almighty scarce”
Today is international Woman’s Day.
Mark Twain understood that women truly rule the world, or at least if they did, it would probably be a better world.
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On Faith in Government
By · Comments“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
It has been said that the only form of government worse than a democracy is every other form of government. And how often it is that Congress proves the point.
mark twain government congress
On Keeping an Open Mind
By · Comments“Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.”
Holding on to an idea that has long since worn through its own logic only serves to dampen the spirit of all who still cling to it.
On Moderation
By · Comments“A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs”
If one is good, it seems natural that two would be better. But it just isn’t necessarily so.
mark twain following the equator moderation
On the Verdict in the Scooter Libby Trial
By · Comments“You want to be careful about lying; otherwise you are nearly sure to get caught”
Convicted today of four counts of perjury, giving false statements, and obstruction of justice, Scooter Libby was apparently not careful enough. He got caught.
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On Realistic Expectatioins of Human Nature
By · Comments“Barring that natural expression of villainy which we all have, the man looked honest enough.”
Do not expect more goodness of a man than you yourself posses. If you find more, then let it be a surprise – and something to strive for in yourself, for it will be expected of you.
On PR for its Own Sake
By · Comments“Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid”
Has reality television and the vast PR machine that defines much of American popular culture perverted what it means to be famous and given celebrity to those that do nothing more than cackle the loudest?
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