Enjoy the Ides of March...

[fajrdrako]

Those who want the Government to regulate matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination. - Harry S Truman, 1884 - 1972

I've always liked Truman, one of the few figures of American history whom I know anything much about, thanks to an undergraduate seminar course. His only flaw is/was the difficulty of spelling his name.

The quotation was part of the Quote of the Day list, the theme today being the assassination of Julius Caesar. Caesar is another of my favourite historical figures - smart, effective, and sexier than Truman. Another of the quotes was a rather flip comment by Barbara Tuchmann:

Rome had Caesar, a man of remarkable governing talents, although it must be said that a ruler who arouses opponents to resort to assassination is probably not as smart as he ought to be. - Barbara W. Tuchman, 1912 - 1989

To which I would answer: self-preservation should be a low priority for a statesman; Caesar's successes were largely because he didn't put his safety first. Avoiding risk was not a highly-regarded trait among Romans.

Besides, we should all act according to our best judgement, not according to our fears.

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Austen just makes me murderous, and I've no time for the film/TV adaptations. Watching paint dry is more exciting.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

hahahaha

well, as a matter of fact, when I have time... I like to watch paint dry too. The play of the light is fascinating.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I am delighted to have found someone who likes Austen even less than I do.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

One of the things I found galling about the English Lit curriculum at school was that it operated under the assumption that "all girls love Jane Austen". No. It is bland. Nothing really bad ever happens, and nothing much is at stake.

There were some on-line discussions elsewhere about Austen (due to up-coming TV adaptations), which made me chortle. Someone wrote about her understanding the fear of "poverty" for her heroines... One is presented with the possibility of having to do with one maid-of-all-work if she makes an improvident marriage; others might face being dependent "poor relations", ladies' companions, or at worst (shock! horror!) having to work as governesses.

I'm sure the agricultural labourers and factory-workers (for whom the threat of starvation was still a reality) would have found that a hilarious definition of "poverty".

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't think Jane Austen ever talks about labourers and factory-workers, does she? She doesn't (as far as I can recall) ever talk about real social issues - these books are comedies of manners.

I'm not saying she should deal with real social issues, but it shows to me the way her books don't change much in tone and circumstance.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I don't think Jane Austen ever talks about labourers and factory-workers, does she?

No. The nearest to "poor people" she gets are the Prices – the family of a Marine officer, who's either on half-pay or invalided. But they can afford a servant (albeit a not very efficient one). They were about the only characters I could actually relate to as "real", but the reader was supposed to share Fanny's disdain for them as chaotic and disorganised.

I'm not saying she should deal with real social issues, but it shows to me the way her books don't change much in tone and circumstance.

Yup. It's a twee, decorous little world of tea-parties.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't actually like Austen much (except for Persuasion) but she has moments that I like. It's her general tone that bothers me - I often think she doesn't much like her own characters.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Well, given the characters... I wouldn't blame her.
Mind, from what I read about her, she seems to have been a snide bitch. She thought some unfortunate acquaintance's miscarriage was an occasion for a joke - saying she wondered if it had been caused by the woman happening to glance at her (presumably startlingly ugly) husband suddenly. Given the health risks at that time, that does seem a heartless thing to say, even if it was about someone she disliked.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Mostly I just find that she doesn't put a lot of feeling into her stories - they're clever but not warm.