The Ultimate Answer to Kings: You know you're in trouble when even Hitler thinks you're an idiot...

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.

Monday, October 10, 2011

You know you're in trouble when even Hitler thinks you're an idiot...

H/T to Sipsey Street.

Y'know, one of these days I'm gonna get a chance to actually see this movie. There's no way I'm getting through this scene without giggling, no matter how dramatic it really turns out to be.

2 comments:

LJH said...: Oh chit - laughed so hard I think I pulled a muscle.; October 10, 2011 at 4:27 PM
Anonymous said...: I watched it twice. Must have pulled two muscles. :-); October 10, 2011 at 6:28 PM

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Monday, October 10, 2011

You know you're in trouble when even Hitler thinks you're an idiot...

2 comments:

Why the hell did you scroll all the way down here?