Mark Twain on Politicians

by Robert Wilkinson

I just saw the news that the US House passed a bill to create a commemorative coin honoring Mark Twain. Now that’s funny! If you want to know why, read on.

According to one news source, “Lawmakers had lauded the author of ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ as one of the great American voices and recounted the sage’s many witticisms.” That struck me as funny, since it was and is common knowledge that Twain, to put it bluntly, “held a poisonous disdain for Congress in particular and politics in general.“

A few quotes from this master American satirist and social commentator of his times:

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

“Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a congressman can.”

“An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere.”

“There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

“All Congresses and parliaments have a kindly feeling for idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of personal experience and heredity.”

Thanks to Al Kamen of the WaPo for the great quotes. To which I can add only that given Twain wrote these words over 100 years ago, it seems that very little has changed since then!!

© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Charles]

Ah, you should read "Fantastic Fables" by Ambrose Bierce. It's all available free online at Project Gutenberg. I'll give you a fable.

Two Politicians

Two Politicians were exchanging ideas regarding the rewards for public service.

“The reward which I most desire,” said the First Politician, “is the gratitude of my fellow-citizens.”

“That would be very gratifying, no doubt,” said the Second Politician, “but, alas! in order to obtain it one has to retire from politics.”

For an instant they gazed upon each other with inexpressible tenderness; then the First Politician murmured, “God’s will be done! Since we cannot hope for reward, let us be content with what we have.”

And lifting their right hands from the public treasury they swore to be content.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/374

[Kelly]

Both Twain and Bierce are American treasures.

That members of Congress just voted to commemorate Twain strikes me as Shakespearian along the lines of the shenanigans in Midsummer NIght's Dream. It's hard to keep up with such idiocy, but it sure is fun to watch!

What idiots these members of Congress be!

[Roberta]

Love this! Thanks Robert - you're the best!