Friday, June 14, 2019

Taking a look at Mark Twain


I sometimes like to read Mark Twain quotes, just for the nuggets I'll find. Consider:

Mark Twain, possibly for politicians: "It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." I wonder if the Republicans in Congress have read this quotation ... and if it would mean anything to them. And do many of them have either kind of courage?


Here's a quote in the same vein: "A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory." It seems there are tons of people who have no memory at all under official questioning.


Here's Twain's comment on our first president: "I have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington. He could not lie; I can, but I won't."


This seems to point to Donald Trump: "A half-truth is the most cowardly of lies."


More for Trump: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."


Still more for Trump: "There's one way to find out if a man is honest: ask him (if he's honest); if he says yes, you know he's crooked."


Twain, on morality"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."

I wonder who this would be for: "Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company."


Finally, as a former newspaperman, I find this Twain quote appropriate: "My job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

That seems perfect for the White House press corps. Who should they afflict first?

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

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