On one hand I see the common man like you and me working hard to build a great country, and alas on the other, politicians doing their utmost to destroy our land; it's depressing to watch such happen.
"So you're depressed about it huh Bob?"
"Aristotle!" I cried in disbelief.
"No, I'm Socrates! I told Aristotle a hundred times not to dress like me, that the world would mistake us for each other but he never listened!"
"Sorry!" I said touching the feet of the great philosopher.
"You're depressed about those rascal politicians?"
"Who wouldn't be," I said morosely.
"It could have been worse!" said Socrates with a twinkle in his eye.
"How?" I asked.
"Bob, why do you think we mooted the idea of Senate Houses, Parliament, the legislative houses, the assemblies, all over the world?"
"So that they could dispute, debate and discuss over there!"
"Oh no! We gave the world this idea so that at any given time the biggest trouble makers on earth could be found in the same place at the same time. They're caged in. They're in a zoo! And you're watching them scamper and caper around through TV, reading 'bout their antics through newspapers, and hearing their grunts and growls through radio!"
"How is it we can't stop them from influencing society?"
"Aha!" said Socrates, "Just change the label and inform the world!"
"What label?"
"Just call the House a zoo! Think of them in cages!"
"And it'll work?"
"Doesn't it work in zoos? Do you take monkeys chatter seriously, or the parrots jabber or even the lions roar?" Socrates disappeared and I pondered over what he'd said.
"Want to hear a joke Bob?"
"Socrates!" I said.
"No I'm Aristotle! I told Socrates a hundred times not to dress like me, that the world would mistake us for each other but did he listen?"
"Yes," I said happily, "a joke!"
"Five eminent Greek surgeons were discussing who made the best patient on the operating table. The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is colour coded. The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
But the fourth surgeon shut them all up when he observed, "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no spine, and their heads and backsides are interchangeable..!"
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the two great philosophers and I laughed with them, "Don't take them seriously Bob!" They both said together, "Don't ever take them seriously..!"
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com
