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Wealth and Want | |||||||
... because democracy alone is not enough to produce widely shared prosperity. | |||||||
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http://www.grundskyld.dk/7-par-aber.html Uncivilized Monkeys, who know nothing about private property in land.An ancient ape, once on a time,Disliked exceedingly to climb, And so he picked him out a tree And said, "Now this belongs to me. I have a hunch that monks are mutts And I can make them gather nuts And bring the bulk of them to me, By claiming title to this tree." He took a green leaf and a reed And wrote himself a title deed, Proclaiming pompously and slow: "All monkeys by these presents know". Next morning when the monkeys came To gather nuts, he made his claim: "All monkeys climbing on this tree Must bring their gathered nuts to me, Cracking the same on equal shares; The meats are mine, the shells are theirs." "But by what right?" they cried, amazed, Thinking the ape was surely crazed By this", he answered; "if you'll read You'll find it is a title deed, made in precise and formal shape And sworn before a fellow ape, Exactly on the legal plan Used by that wondrous creature, man, In London, Tokyo, New York, Glengarry, Kalamazoo and Cork. Unless my deed is recognized, It proves you quite uncivilized." "But", said one monkey, "You will agree It was not you who made this tree." "Nor", said the ape, serene and bland, "Does any owner make his land, Yet all of its hereditaments Are his and figure in the rents. " The puzzled monkeys sat about They could not make the question out. Plainly, by precedent and law, The ape's procedure showed no flaw; And yet, no matter what he said; The stomach still denied the head. Up spoke one sprightly monkey then: "Monkeys are monkeys, men are men; The ape should try his legal capers On men who say respect his papers. We don't know deeds; we do know nuts, And spite of 'ifs' and 'ands' and 'buts' We know who gathers and unmeats 'em, By monkey practice also eats 'em. So tell the ape and all his flunkies No man tricks can be played on monkeys" Thus, apes still climb to get their food, Since monkeys' minds are crass and crude And monkeys, all so ill-advised, Still eat their nuts, uncivilized. |
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Wealth
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www.wealthandwant.com
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... because democracy
alone hasn't yet led to a society in which all can
prosper
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