Rushing to keep their date with Davy Jones
Our leaders like us to believe they’re wise, clever, intelligent, well-informed, and always equal to the occasion.
Anything farther from the truth would be quite difficult to imagine.
Really, it’s more like nincompoops playing with matches and M-80s in someone’s living room. I knew a kid in high school who blew half his hand off, that way. He was looked upon as an authority.
Is that how you get to be an authority?
Great column! Sorry I can’t stay to say more, but I had a meeting all morning and I have to get ready for a building BBQ in a little while. Trying to clear out the ol’ inbox first, but not making much headway…..
Glad you liked it.
I’m waiting for my copy of Barbara Tuchmann’s “The March of Folly.” Have you ever read it?
Good history lesson. I had not heard of Barbara Tuchmann, nor her book. But took a peek on Amazon and read the reviews and the blurb about the book. It’s now on my to read list.
About those M-80s. My dad let me and my brother play with them. My mom was not happy about that. My brother had a model car collection he got tired of. An ordinary firecracker wouldn’t put a dent in those cars. But an M-80, yeah, that would turn them into small pieces. A firecracker in a soda can would just make a loud noise with a bit of smoke. But an M-80 would tear it apart.
For whatever the reason, we seem doomed to repeat past follies.
Two factors are in play: original sin and original stupidity.