Saturday, September 30, 2006
On liars
In Robert Heinlein's 1957 novel Citizen of the Galaxy, a story that's been one of my favourites since I was a kid, the father figure, Baslim the Cripple, is trying to encourage his adopted son Thorby to live an honest life. It's speculative fiction, of course, and Baslim, an intelligence agent, is masquerading as a beggar in the capital of the Nine Worlds, to find out about the slave trade. Baslim was able to buy Thorby in a slave auction and rescue him from that life, but, of course, since Baslim is a beggar, that means Thorby becomes what today we would call a street kid. And so he falls into the company of thieves and liars.
Baslim then tells Thorby
But ordinary people don't have spindoctors. And if a friend or even an acquintance lies, it is like the wind. It passes by.
The irony, of course,is that the hero, Baslim, was a liar himself. He was an intelligence agent, in deep cover, and lying is part of the job description.
Just a thought on a Saturday night.
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writing, Robert Heinlein, science fiction, politics
9:28 PM posted by Robin Rowland
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In Robert Heinlein's 1957 novel Citizen of the Galaxy, a story that's been one of my favourites since I was a kid, the father figure, Baslim the Cripple, is trying to encourage his adopted son Thorby to live an honest life. It's speculative fiction, of course, and Baslim, an intelligence agent, is masquerading as a beggar in the capital of the Nine Worlds, to find out about the slave trade. Baslim was able to buy Thorby in a slave auction and rescue him from that life, but, of course, since Baslim is a beggar, that means Thorby becomes what today we would call a street kid. And so he falls into the company of thieves and liars.
Baslim then tells Thorby
I wish what Baslim said was true, if it did, it could apply to politicians. But, even if it did, the spindoctors would have giant fans to redirect the wind.
Once a man gets a reputation as a liar, he might as well be struck dumb, for people do not listen to the wind.
But ordinary people don't have spindoctors. And if a friend or even an acquintance lies, it is like the wind. It passes by.
The irony, of course,is that the hero, Baslim, was a liar himself. He was an intelligence agent, in deep cover, and lying is part of the job description.
Just a thought on a Saturday night.
Technorati tags
writing, Robert Heinlein, science fiction, politics
9:28 PM posted by Robin Rowland
Permanent Link
