Sep 08 2002
La plus ca change
Often in life, one has to choose the lesser of two evils. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell exactly which of the two evils is the lesser one, and to what degree. Case in point: the California governor election. Which is worse, Simon or Davis? I’ll end up voting for Davis, because he’s the Democratic candidate and I have been a Demo my whole voting life, but I disagree with so much of what he has done and many of his views. But voting for Simon is unthinkable. So I guess that makes Davis the lesser of two evils.
The French have a saying (and don’t they always – just ask Colin, everything sounds better in French), which is something like, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Case in point: politics now, and politics a century ago, when George Bernard Shaw wrote the following:
“I am, and always have been, a revolutionary writer, because our laws make law impossible; our liberties destroy all freedom; our property is organized robbery; our morality is an impudent hypocrisy; our wisdom is administered by inexperienced or mal-experienced dupes; our power is wielded by cowards and weaklings, anf our honor false in all its points. I am an enemy of the existing order for good reasons.”
John had a dream the other night that Tony Soprano was President. Wouldn’t that be great? I don’t think he’d hesitate to whack Osama or Saddam or anyone else who pissed him off, especially since Junior was head of Defense in the dream. And wouldn’t Carmela be a fabulous First Lady? In the dream, Chris was Attorney General (Giving a speech on national TV about insider trading by CEO’s and saying things like, “Fuck those guys! They’re going down! They’re doing time, my friends!” Under Tony’s government, nothing was bleeped out, either. All TV was like HBO.) and Paulie was head of Security. I guess it’s a sad state of affairs when the idea of fictional characters running your country seems like a better deal than any of the real life possibilities. I wonder if Shaw is shaking his head or laughing his ass off?