Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Mr.Vonnegut, we miss you...

Cold Turkey

By Kurt Vonnegut


Many years ago, I was so innocent I still considered it possible that we could become the humane and reasonable America so many members of my generation used to dream of. We dreamed of such an America during the Great Depression, when there were no jobs. And then we fought and often died for that dream during the Second World War, when there was no peace.

But I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America’s becoming humane and reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.

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2 comments:

h2oetry said...

R.I.P. Kurt.

So it goes.

Grabloid said...

that is an awesome section from his last book (just before his death)..."Man Without A Country".
That whole book is just about as good as this piece...I highly recommend it.
The book itself is made up of a bunch of little pieces like this, but put together in a way that it flows like a Kurt Vonnegut book with chapters and everything...