And they say no-one saw it coming!
WWN* were 10 years ahead of all the so-called ‘mainstream’ media.
* Issues from 2007 back available in their entirety on Google Books; Praise Be!
From the page: “an economy built on a house of credit cards.”
This rule applies in market contexts but not in social contexts, where such careful calculation is, as Benkler notes, generally deprecated, because markets create opportunities for systematic arbitrage that do not apply in other contexts. In an environment where exchanges are not carefully calculated, a trader who consistently gives slightly short weight can amass substantial profits. If trading partners assume honourable behaviour, none will suffer enough to notice, but eventually arbitrageurs will drive out their less calculating trading partners.
Similar points can be made about other motives. There are a whole range of sales tricks designed to exploit altruism, friendship, desire for self- expression and so on. Hence, to prosper, or even survive, in a market context, it is necessary to adopt a view that ‘business is business’, and to (consciously or otherwise) play a role that is quite distinct from what might be conceived as one’s ‘real self’. This is a prime example of what Goffman calls an obligatory role.
[In the name of the Creator Ohrmazd, who is majestic and glorious.]
(1) The records of Ardashir, son of Babag, it is written as follows: That after the death of Alexander, inhabitant of Arum, there were in the territory of Iran two hundred and forty princes. (2) Spahan (i.e. modern Isfahan), Pars and the borderlands that were nearest to them, were in the hands of Arvadan, the chief (king). (8) Babag was the frontier governor of Pars, and [was] one of the commissioners appointed by Ardavan. (4) The seat of Ardavan was in Stakhra (i.e. Persepolis). (5) And Babag had no son to preserve his name. (6) And Sâsân was a shepherd employed by Babag, who always remained with the horses and cattle (belonging to the latter), and he was (descended) from the line of (king) Dârâb, son of Dârâê. (7) During the evil reign of Alexander, the descendants of Dârâb privately lived in distant lands, wandering with Kurdish shepherds.
(8) Babag did not know that Sâsân was descended from the family of Dârâb, son of Dârâê. (9) One night Babag saw in a dream as though the sun was shining from the head of Sâsân and giving light to the whole world. (10) Another night he dreamt that Sâsân was seated on a richly adorned white elephant, and that all those that stood around him in the kingdom made obeisance to him, praised and blessed him. (11) The [next] third night he, accordingly, saw as if the sacred fires, Adar Farnbag, Adar Gushnasp and Adar Burzin Mihr, were burning in the house of Sâsân and giving light to the whole world. (12) He wondered at it, and (directly) invited to his presence the sages and interpreters of dreams, and narrated to them the visions he had seen in his dreams during those three nights.
(13) The interpreters of dreams spoke thus: “The person that was seen in that dream, he or somebody from among the sons of that man, will succeed to the sovereignty of this world, because the sun and the richly adorned white elephant (that you observed) represented vigor and the triumph of opulence; the sacred fire Adar Farnbag the religious intelligence of the great men among the mobeds; the sacred fire Adar Gushnasp warriors and military chieftains; and the sacred fire Adar Burzin Mihr the farmers and agriculturists of the world [and] thus this sovereignty will fall to that man or the descendants of that man.”
(14) On hearing these words, Babag dispatched somebody to call Sâsân to his presence, and questioned him as follows: “From what race and family are you? Out of your forefathers and ancestors was (there) anybody who had exercised sovereignty or chieftainship (before)?”
(15) Sâsân solicited from Babag his support and protection in these words: “Do me no hurt or harm.” (16) Babag accepted (the request), and Sâsân declared before Babag his own secret as it stood.
(17) (On hearing his reply) Babag was delighted, and (so) he ordered (Sâsân) thus: “Elevate your body (by taking a bath).”
(18) Meanwhile Babag directed (his servants) that a suit of clothes fit to be worn by a king should be brought and given to Sâsân, and Sâsân wore the royal garments accordingly. (19) Babag (further) directed [in the case of Sâsân] that he should be nourished with invigorating, fresh and proper food for several days (20) Later on he gave him his daughter in marriage, and according to the law of nature she, in a short time, was pregnant by Sâsân, and from her Ardashir was born.
(might be a different one)
And the new laws whisper:
We do not want to hear you talking about truth
Truth is a friend of yours, not a friend of ours
We have a better friend called hearsay, who is a witness we can always rely on
We do not want to hear you talking about innocence
Innocent means guilty of things not yet done
We do not want to hear you talking about the right to silence
You need to be told what silence means: it means guilt
We do not want to hear you talking about justice
Justice is whatever we want to do to you
And nothing else
