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Monday, February 3, 2020

DOUR THOUGHTS


A slight cold and the stresses of preparing both for my course today and the launch of my Hume lectures on Thursday have kept me from posting in several days.  Watching American politics these days has put me in mind of Gandhi’s famous remark.  Asked what he thought of British democracy, he replied sardonically, “It would be a lovely idea.”

There is much discussion these days about whether 'our' democratic American traditions can survive Trump.  I recall a tense moment when the Lone Ranger and Tonto faced a menacing group of Cherokee warriors.  “Are we going to survive?” the Lone Ranger asked nervously.  Tonto, you will no doubt remember, replied “What do you mean ‘we,’ White Man?”

Well, if the Coronavirus doesn’t get me, I will be curious to see how things fall out over the next few months.

5 comments:

David Auerbach said...

I though Gandi's remark was about Wester civilization?

Anonymous said...

« “What Do You Think of Western Civilization?”

“I Think It Would Be a Good Idea”

Mohandas Gandhi? Apocryphal? »

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/04/23/good-idea/

Unknown said...

I can report directly from Japan on the virus issue at least and say there is general unease and annoyance over the lack of recreational medical masks, that item very much sold out at this point. This along with an attitude, which is only expressed when asked, that this is just like China, and we shouldn't let them in all together.

As a side note I'm very much looking forward to Hume but don't work yourself to exhaustion professor!

NP

Robert Paul Wolff said...

Quite correct, David Auerbach and Anonymous. It is a great line.

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