Quote of the day

[uberreiniger]

A great quote I had long since forgotten, dredged to the surface of my mind today by winegodeatsyou:

"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting over what to have for dinner."

-Robert Heinlein.

Ruminate on this, my disciples. And then kill each other.

Comments

[mellifera.livejournal.com]

I might have to start reading Heinlein. I hear good things.

[winegodeatsyou.livejournal.com]

He's sexist, but he is a genius on both political, philosophical, and damn good pulp writing grounds. Start with "Job: A Divine Comedy"... which is somehow, Christian, Pagan, and MUtli-dimensional at one time.

I also strongly suggest later Philip K. Dick.

[mellifera.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Only thing I've ever read of his was "Starship Troopers," but it is an excellent book. The movie adds an over-the-top silliness factor that the book just doesn't have; its humor is more low-key. But it is a damn good reading - if you don't mind the casual sexism that winegod mentions.

[winegodeatsyou.livejournal.com]

That movie just felt wrong--like it missed a lot of what Heinlein was saying. I couldn't tell if the movie was campy or trying to play up the satire and failing.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

You could tell it was a Paul Verhoeven movie. His brand of social commentary, while witty, has never been subtle. Strangely enough, the "Starship Troopers" animated series which he produced (and which followed the same characters as in the movie,) was far, FAR closer to the book; going back and covering areas of the book that were left out of the movie, telling the story in a fashion closer to the book, etc. Who knows, maybe it was the story he really wanted to tell but couldn't due to the constraints placed by the movie studio. That does happen in Hollywood all too often.

[winegodeatsyou.livejournal.com]

I never really watched it because I was so turned off by the movie. But the animation, if I remember correctly, was very pretty.

[catlin.livejournal.com]

I wanna be the wolf!

MURDER

[massa-jean.livejournal.com]

"kill each other"...really, we can do that? AWESOME! *grabs "Rambo" knife and heads out the door*

Re: MURDER

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Just don't say I told you to. Say you heard it backwards on a heavy metal album.

Re: MURDER

[winegodeatsyou.livejournal.com]

I wonder which one: let's see.. .Slayer will do.

Re: MURDER

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

No way. They say it forwards!

Re: MURDER

[winegodeatsyou.livejournal.com]

True. Jackyl maybe?

[donkeyjon.livejournal.com]

I love that quote. Need to get out my copy of Moon is a Harsh Mistress and read it again.

Democracy?

[drinkalizer.livejournal.com]

Grrr. Election day was a Tuesday, and it reeked.

It is so easy to "love this quote". It is so against how I feel, so why DO i laugh at it? Those who don't trust "the system" (most any system for that matter will work as an example) won't get burned. It is a safe road that I don't take. Hell...I voted for Kerry - so I am CLEARLY not one for the SAFE road approach. I am a sheep who thinks things can change or that they can work - so sue me!