...and the list of candidates keeps getting smaller and less inspiring here in the American election, I thought it would be a good time for the reminder that politics and other things of Man will never really do...
 |
| G.K. Chesterton, an apostle for common sense |
The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected. Even when the revolutionist might himself repent of his revolution, the traditionalist is already defending it as part of his tradition. Thus we have two great types -- the advanced person who rushes us into ruin, and the retrospective person who admires the ruins. He admires them especially by moonlight, not to say moonshine. Each new blunder of the progressive or prig becomes instantly a legend of immemorial antiquity for the snob. This is called the balance, or mutual check, in our Constitution.
G.K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News (1924)
After all these years, our politics still look awfully British.
No comments:
Post a Comment