Day: October 12, 2015

Mack the knife Machiavelli, the honest criminal

Shakespeare knew there was bad in everybody, “made no ideological exception,” wrote Wyndham Lewis in his 1950 autobiography Rude Assignment.

He had “no appetite for . . . useless and degrading performance of a series of . . . tricks” by rulers. As opposed to Machiavelli, who glorified the “heroic man — a ‘Prince’ — a model for other ‘Princes,’ a paragon.” (403 of the 1966 collection by Raymond Rosenthal, A Soldier of Humor and Selected Writings (Signet Classic)

Machiavelli did much in the cause of dictatorship with his articulate defense of it. (405) No one had argued it was the people’s own good that someone should rule over them, they just said they liked power. Shakespeare knew as much as Machiavelli about it, but did not endorse it.

M. became the go-to guy for despotism if not for despots such as Frederick the Great, a disciple who objected to his candor. M. was an honest criminal, admitting everything, and is so admired by the student who turns to him with respect. (406)

At McDonald’s a song about Subway

Other day at McDonald’s (Sunday before mid-morning mass), it was “Please don’t sleep in the subway, darling” on the overhead. Nine o’clock or so, beautiful.

Dining with me, other tables, were Mexican families, including one with boy and girl who were as cute as singer Petula. Father in baseball cap kept his smiles to a minimum, mother had softer demeanor, two kids were relaxed.

Sunday morning breakfast, Foster & Bryn Mawr.

Jesus quick on his feet

Luke 11.15 and following has him giving as good as he gets. Better. His opponents shot at him for casting out devils. By Beelzebul, they said.

But they do it, He asks by whom? If someone does it by the Kingdom of God, then God is here, the age of the Messiah has dawned.

More: He gives analysis of demonic behavior. The backslider ends up worse than before.

24 ‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” 25When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.’

Jesus talk is direct, even harsh. He was to submit to awful death, but as a preacher he took no prisoners.