"A strong defence, so said our Prime Minister, is the best deterrent for any country and the best guarantee for peace."
"Such words of wisdom! Never been spoken before."
"Don't be facetious, my friend. First the guy is new at this kind of thing and really doesn't know that a whole succession of rulers here and abroad have said the same thing, so much so that it has almost become an aphorism for those who want to spend more on defence and less on poverty reduction. And second he probably has a speech writer who wrote the same thing for others and who may have had a writer's block and thought he'd go with what had succeeded in the past."
"This aphorism, as you call it, is also very necessary for those chosen to the office by a power that owes its existence to the defence forces, if you know what I mean."
"Yes, of course. But my point is it is more so with those who owe their very office to forces that are beyond the control of the electorate. I mean Donald Rumsfeld feels the same way I think and..."
"Maybe the Chosen One is impressed by him."
"Ah, so Bush and the Chosen One have something in common."
"No, my friend, they have nothing in common. Nothing at all! Bush has all the power. Need I say more?"
"The Chosen One also said that we must, as a nation, be able to control our destiny and influence our future through our own actions. What did he mean by that?"
"Am not sure. I mean in the new and improved democracy people's power is rather limited. You don't mean to imply that he is actually encouraging us to go out on the streets and take the bull by the horns."
"What bull?"
"The bull of the new and improved democracy. I mean we could take our destiny in our own hands..."
"Oh, keep quiet. Sometimes I do worry about your mental health. If the people do that he will put them behind bars, Oh, OK so he won't, but the power that be will put them behind bars."
"It was worth asking! I mean sometimes people make mistakes."
"And then they lose their jobs..."
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