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July 18, 2003

Jingoism I

As one of my co-bloggers on Slumbering Pierrot has pointed out, the anti-frog rhetoric has been getting a bit heavy lately - even if they deserve it :-) Alex(ei) even has a serious post (or at least somewhat more serious) for Bastille Day (followed immediately by a Ronald Regan joke ;-).

So in that light I would like to quote some very relevant Terry Pratchett from the novel 'Jingo' where the governor of Ankh-Morpork (Lord Vetinari, the Patrician) is discussing things with his advisors (Mr Burleigh represents the French I think). Klatch by the way is a desert country with funny religions ruled by a mad dictator and there is about to be a war between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch:


Lord Vetinari looked attentive, because he'd always found that listening keenly to people tended to put them off.
And at meetings like this, when he was advised by the leaders of the city, he listened with great care because what people said was what they wanted him to hear. He paid a lot of attention to the spaces outside the words, though. That's where the things were that they hoped he didn't know and didn't want him to find out.
...
The Patrician turned to Mr Burleigh.
'We surely have superiority in weapons, Mr Burleigh?'
'Oh yes. Say what you like about the Frenchdwarves, but we've been turning out some superb stuff lately,' said the President of Francethe Guild of Armourers.
'Ah. That at least is some comfort.'
'Yes,' said Burleigh. He looked wretched. 'However, the thing about weapons manufacture ... the important thing ...'
'I believe you are about to say that the important thing about the business of weaponry is that it is a business,' said the Patrician.
Burleigh looked as though he'd been let off the hook onto a bigger hook.
'Er ... yes.'
'That, in fact, the weapons are for selling.'
'Er ... exactly.'
'To anyone who wishes to buy them.'
'Er ... yes.'
'Regardless of the use to which they are going to be put?'
The armaments manufacturer looked affronted.
'Pardon me? Of course. They're weapons.'
'And I suspect that in recent years a very lucrative market has been Klatch?'
'Well, yes ... Saddamthe Seriph needs them to pacify the Kurds outlying regions ...'

Of course the struck out sections were not in the original text, they were supplied to help with context :-)

Posted by Ozguru at July 18, 2003 08:07 AM

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