THINKING A THOUGHT ABOUT A THINKER'S THOUGHT

THINKING A THOUGHT ABOUT A THINKER'S THOUGHT
by Andy Weddington
Tuesday, 02 August 2016

A certain wise man once said God didn't play dice with the universe, but that man was wrong. Sometimes I think He must even try Russian roulette. Daina Chaviano

A comment for today was not planned but arrived this morning an email from an intellectual friend and that changed everything for the morning hours - painting and music must wait. 

Residing in the Coachella Valley, my friend, a retired economist and educator, is a humbly brilliant gent. He is thoughtful and plain-spoken with clarity - he can explain the most complex aspects of economics so a child can understand them. As a youngster, I learned the complexities of economics - on a bicycle seat tossing morning newspapers and walking door-to-door on weekends collecting. We speak the same language. 

And he's blessed with great wit. Always when visiting, and sometimes over the computer, we spar - with puns, and what great fun that is. Our wives laugh but roll their eyes. So goes the difference between sophisticates and simpletons. Draw your own conclusion as to who's who. 

His email was a 'Thought for the day.' 

What he labeled "Sowell Food" went like this...

"Voting for an out of control egomaniac like Donald Trump would be like playing Russian roulette with the future of this country. Voting for someone with a track record like Hillary Clinton is like putting a shotgun to your head and pulling the trigger. And not voting at all is just giving up. Nobody said that being a good citizen would be easy." Thomas Sowell, 'The Political Picture'

My friend is a thinker. And a great punster.  

Mr. Sowell, too an economist and educator, is surely a great thinker. I know he knows a Laffer's work but don't know if he does puns.

No one ever accused me of being a great thinker nor even a thinker for that matter. 

But for the record, I did once work in a Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps 'Think Tank.' And it did not take long to earn status atop the target list and in the gun sights of seniors who did not like my way of thinking nor thoughts.

Anyway, I thought about Mr. Sowell's thought and have a thought.

Mr. Sowell's subtle message, which he may or may not have thought about, is to be a good citizen and vote for Donald Trump. 

Why?

Because in Russian roulette (a game played with one round in a multi-chamber cylinder) a trigger pull does not necessarily result in a report of the revolver. In other words, the gun does not necessarily go bang when the trigger is pulled. 

That's thanks to gravity and making for odds favorable to the trigger puller because the heavier chamber (one with the round) is, after spinning the cylinder, more likely to come to rest at the bottom. 

There's another minor variable or two to factor in and some statistics but, in short, odds are greater for the gun not to fire. 

On the other hand, a round chambered in a shotgun is, for all intents and purposes, a certainty. 

Put the gun to your head and pull the trigger and unless Divine intervention most likely no more head. Bluntly, a shotgun blast at point blank range will blow your head clean off. Health Record closed out. 

Mr. Sowell is correct that not voting is just giving up. Never, ever, give up. 

Granted, Mr. Trump is no god - not in this universe nor elsewhere. And who knows his relationship with Russian Mr. Putin who seems a master at roulette. But Mrs. Clinton is no doubt the Devil. Just ask Mr. Trump. Or Mr. Putin - whom most likely holds her emails. 

A parting shot... 

Grab the revolver! And if a betting man and preference is roulette over dice, consider going with Red 16 - Mr. Trump.

The wheel spins for 97 more days. 

Is this a bang of a good time or what?!