2008: a parable
100 people were invited to a dinner. They were to choose what their dinner would be, but all were to be served the same sort of entree. Their choices were beef with an arsenic sauce, chicken with arsenic sauce, or vegetarian.
52 of the dinner guests said to themselves "Whether I vocalize my wish or not, I will still get to eat, and will have to eat what everyone else wants anyway, so I will maintain my silence. Of the remaining 48, 23 said, we do not like chicken or vegetables, so we will have beef with arsenic sauce. 22 of the remaining 25 said, we do not like vegetables, and we do not like beef with arsenic sauce, because it is poison, so we will have chicken with arsenic sauce because it tastes better.
The remaining 3 said, we do not like vegetables much, as they can be unpleasant to eat. But we certainly do not want beef with arsenic, and although we like chicken, it also contains arsenic and will kill us just as surely as the beef. We would like vegetables.
This upset those who asked for the chicken. They said to the vegetable eaters, "Come ask for chicken with us so that we do not have to eat beef, and we can have a majority." The vegetable eaters replied "Nay, but it is still poison. We would like vegetables; even though they may be somewhat unpleasant to you for a time, they are still the best overall choice."
In the end, those who chose beef won with a plurality of those who asked for a specific dish, and all 100 ate beef and arsenic and were afflicted with a great affliction that is caused by eating arsenic. All were rushed to the hospital and had their stomachs pumped. Some survived and were kept on life support.
Their life was preserved, but they did not have the liberties they once had.
And those who wished for chicken, still wished for chicken, even though it had arsenic, as it was the lesser of two evils and called those who chose vegetables "spoilers."
52 of the dinner guests said to themselves "Whether I vocalize my wish or not, I will still get to eat, and will have to eat what everyone else wants anyway, so I will maintain my silence. Of the remaining 48, 23 said, we do not like chicken or vegetables, so we will have beef with arsenic sauce. 22 of the remaining 25 said, we do not like vegetables, and we do not like beef with arsenic sauce, because it is poison, so we will have chicken with arsenic sauce because it tastes better.
The remaining 3 said, we do not like vegetables much, as they can be unpleasant to eat. But we certainly do not want beef with arsenic, and although we like chicken, it also contains arsenic and will kill us just as surely as the beef. We would like vegetables.
This upset those who asked for the chicken. They said to the vegetable eaters, "Come ask for chicken with us so that we do not have to eat beef, and we can have a majority." The vegetable eaters replied "Nay, but it is still poison. We would like vegetables; even though they may be somewhat unpleasant to you for a time, they are still the best overall choice."
In the end, those who chose beef won with a plurality of those who asked for a specific dish, and all 100 ate beef and arsenic and were afflicted with a great affliction that is caused by eating arsenic. All were rushed to the hospital and had their stomachs pumped. Some survived and were kept on life support.
Their life was preserved, but they did not have the liberties they once had.
And those who wished for chicken, still wished for chicken, even though it had arsenic, as it was the lesser of two evils and called those who chose vegetables "spoilers."
0
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I don't "Get It".
JM[V]0 -
I get it.
Childish.
Doug0 -
...bout right...
Now...add some tea to menu and you might get some change!
http://gopteaparty.com/0
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