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Sorry - 2006-12-04
BiG Id0l D@ncing - 2006-12-03
ouch - 2006-11-15
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He's the leader... - 2006-10-18
nothing changes
2006-08-30 - 10:24 p.m.
"What cause for this shortcoming could there be other than the state of world affairs generally? The thing is that other customs have crept in; men's minds are preoccupied with other matters and the only arts practised are those of greed."
"...Senators and judges began to be chosen by wealth, and wealth was the only embellishment of magistrates and commanders;...Obsequiousness began to be the sole means of advancement. Different men worshipped greed in different ways and different contexts, although every man's prayers had the same goal - namely, the acquisition of material possessions. Everywhere even distinguished people preferred to cultivate others' vices rather than their own good qualities. The result is, I declare, that pleasure has begun to live, while life itself has come to an end."
"Where their health is concerned, people have less faith if they understand what is written. So, here indeed is a phenomenon unique among the sciences; anyone claiming to be a doctor is immediately trusted, although in no other profession is an untruth more dangerous...Doctors learn by exposing us to risks, and conduct experiments at the expense of our lives. Only a doctor can kill a man with impunity."
"But what she (Nature) has hidden and kept underground - those things that cannot be found immediately - destroy us and drive us to the depths. As a result the mind boggles at the thought of the long-term effect of draining the earth's resources and the full impact of greed."
"The first person to put gold on his fingers committed the worst crime against human life."
"The reason for this change, as I have explained before, is because people nowadays value materials above genius."
So where's all this from? Who wrote it? Is it from one of those new release books written by an academic?
Actually, no. It's not that current. The man who wrote it died in AD79.
(PLiny the Elder. The book - Natural History: A Selection. Worth a read if you like that sort of thing.)