Absurdities & Atrocities

On The Writer's Almanac today, Garrison Keillor quoted François-Marie Arouet (aka "Voltaire") who said, "People who believe in absurdities will eventually commit atrocities."

"George Bush!" was my first thought. And I found myself wishing that John Kerry had quoted Voltaire during the election. Oh, sure, that would be good. Quote a heathen Frog! That'd go over well, wouldn't it! But several of Voltaire's statements are so appropriate to today's United States:

• "All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."
• "As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities." (A variant of what Keillor quoted.)
• "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
• "It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind."
• "Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them."

Voltaire also said, "An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination," but I would abhor that if for no reason other than it would leave the country in the hands of the vice president.

FBI, CIA, & Secret Service please note: I hereby expressly state that I do not support assassination of government leaders -- ours or anybody else's despite what that great man of God, Pat Robertson, says.