"And wherefore not? A reasonable reason,
If good, is none the worse for repetition;
If bad, the best way 's certainly to tease on,
And amplify: you lose much by concision,
Whereas insisting in or out of season
Convinces all men, even a politician;
Or—what is just the same—it wearies out.
So the end 's gain'd, what signifies the route?"
(Don Juan, Canto 15, Stanza LI)
Now why did I think of this as, in the latest of shifting alliances that characterise Hong Kong "politics" (the word being used loosely and with apologies toBernard Crick ), the lawyers jump into bed with the whackos, leaving the completely clueless on the sidelines? Or not .
If good, is none the worse for repetition;
If bad, the best way 's certainly to tease on,
And amplify: you lose much by concision,
Whereas insisting in or out of season
Convinces all men, even a politician;
Or—what is just the same—it wearies out.
So the end 's gain'd, what signifies the route?"
(Don Juan, Canto 15, Stanza LI)
Now why did I think of this as, in the latest of shifting alliances that characterise Hong Kong "politics" (the word being used loosely and with apologies to
6 comments:
you're becoming increasingly obscure Ullie. Something on your mind?
Crick wrote a v. good biography of Orwell.
In the interests of disclosure, I should add he taught me at Sheffield in the 60s.
What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?
Rest easy, GP. I have plans to dumb it down tomorrow.
I read the Crick bio some years ago, Nonnie I. Good, but nothing beats the original, especially Homage to Catalonia for a brutal dissection of human weakness. Only a friend of the left could write such a scathing critique of the left, albeit a different left.
Different strokes for different folks, Nonnie II ...
Ulie always gets the brain working in the morning... but perhaps just post a video next time, eh?
It's as if you could read my mind, Ricardo. Not sure what these two videos will do to the brain, though.
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