Policy in Secret
NYConfidential
in this forest," observed the
Secretary of Animal Advancement. "They're already working harder
than ever. In fact, both
parents have to forage or hunt all day just to keep up with the
quotas and feed their litters. "
"Well then, get more animals in here!" here said the Secretary of
Forest Resources. He was a
big fat snake, his belly bulging full of the frogs he had devoured
that morning.
"How are we supposed to do that?" asked the snake, who was the Chief
of Staff.
"How? I'll tell you how! We'll get more animals in here! This
isn't the only forest in the world!
We'll just import more animals from anywhere we can find them!"
"Oh, the other animals aren't going to like that," the Secretary of
Animal Advancement said,
shaking his head, very doubtful of the propostion. "They think of
this forest as theirs. How do
you think they're going to react when they see their homes invaded
by alien species?"
"Don't worry about that," hissed the Secretary of Forest Resources.
"They're all so stupid that
we'll make them feel guilty about NOT having their forest taken away
from them. Just leave that
up to me. I've got very creative snakes working in my department.
You'll see. It won't be long
before you won't recognize this forest."
THE POLITY OF BEASTS
THE most politically incorrect (and true) book of its time.
The novel the New York Times refused to review.
NYConfidential
uncertainty, sea voyages, battles! I say then we must do nothing at all, for
nothing is certain, and that there is more certainty in religion than there
is as to whether we may see to-morrow; for it is not certain that we may see
to-morrow, and it is certainly possible that we may not, see it. We cannot
say as much about religion. It is not certain that it is; but who will
venture to say that it is certainly possible that it is not? Now when we
work for to-morrow, and so on an uncertainty, we act reasonably; for we
ought to work for an uncertainty according to the doctrine of chance which
was demonstrated above.
Saint Augustine has seen that we work for an uncertainty, on sea, in battle,
etc. But he has not seen the doctrine of chance which proves that we should
do so. Montaigne has seen that we are shocked at a fool, and that habit is
all-powerful; but he has not seen the reason of this effect.
All these persons have seen the effects, but they have not seen the causes.
They are, in comparison with those who have discovered the causes, as those
who have only eyes are in comparison with those who have intellect. For the
effects are perceptible by sense, and the causes are visible only to the
intellect. And although these effects are seen by the mind, this mind is, in
comparison with the mind which sees the causes, as the bodily senses are in
comparison with the intellect.
235. Rem viderunt, causam non viderunt.29
236. According to the doctrine of chance, you ought to put yourself to the
trouble of searching for the truth; for if you die without worshipping the
True Cause, you are lost. "But," say you, "if He had wish