The Ultimate Answer to Kings: Good luck with that.

They say that Louis XIV had the inscription Ultima Ratio Regum cast into all the cannon of the French Army. It means "The Ultimate Argument of Kings," and that always struck me as one of the most honest and up-front things any ruler or would-be ruler ever said. "We can dress it up prettier than this, but when it comes down to the unvarnished truth this is what it's about: You'll do as I say or I'll send my goons to kill you."

I thought about that for a long time. If there's an ultimate argument, it seems only logical that there must be an ultimate answer. For years I thought the ultimate answer must be the bullets in my rifle, but it never seemed quite right. I've got bullets - he's got frigging Cannon Balls. I mean, if there were three hundred million rifles throwing bullets at him, then maybe. But we all know that's not going to happen. So if there's an ultimate answer to his ultimate argument, it sure as hell ain't bullets.

It finally came to me - and that's when I left the city, abandoned a goodly percentage of my goods, and gave all that was behind me a good, stiff Randian Shrug.

The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Good luck with that.

There have been hints for several days that Prez Obama is planning to spread some hope and change our way. Looks like it's official - he found some political capital under a couch cushion, and now he wants to throw it away, too. Can't wait.

[I]n the next two weeks, the White House will unveil a new gun-control effort in which it will urge Congress to strengthen current laws, which now allow some mentally unstable people, such as alleged Arizona shooter Jared Loughner, to obtain certain assault weapons, in some cases without even a background check.

Tuesday night after the speech, Obama adviser David Plouffe said to NBC News that the president would not let the moment after the Arizona shootings pass without pushing for some change in the law, to prevent another similar incident. “It’s a very important issue, and one I know there’s going to be debate about on the Hill.”

Great idea, Barry. An idea whose time has come. And gone. This is for you:

2 comments:

Mayberry said...: Come and take them...; January 27, 2011 at 4:31 PM
KurtP said...: About that whole mental thing there Barry- if PIMA-911 would have been doing it's job, our fruitbat would have HAD a mental record.

I guess the fact that he lied on a Federal form about his weed makes it necessary for a drug test too?; January 27, 2011 at 5:30 PM