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Ken White's avatar

I expected nothing less than high-quality discourse in response to this post, and I've gotten nothing less. From an email:

"So you are saying that everyone is lying except you? But then how do I know you aren't lying too? Oh, I should believe you but not those others.

If everyone lies that everyone includes you.

Wait! I should trust your judgement but not those others, because well....why? Oh, because you say so.... Well that makes sense.

You left out the line: On my word as a White. Not quite the same ring as On my word as a Biden but close enough.

I don't believe the others. I don't believe you either. I don't trust their judgement. I don't trust yours either. Everyone has an agenda. You are not the exception to that rule despite what your ego tells you.

All of you remind me of the joke about the little boy:

There is a famous joke about a child who wakes up on Christmas morning and is surprised to find a heap of horse manure under the tree instead of a collection of presents. Yet, the child is not discouraged because he has an extraordinarily optimistic outlook on life. His parents discover him enthusiastically shoveling the manure as he exclaims, “With all this manure, there must be a pony somewhere!”

New York Times language maven William Safire stated that the entire joke would be brought to mind for many readers by simply mentioning the punchline: There must be a pony.

Keep adigging Ken"

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Ken White's avatar

Entire text of an email I just got on this: “cry more”

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