Shepherds and Sheep

Ah, Thrasymachus. Ah, Karl Rove.

"Because you suppose shepherds or cowherds consider the good of the sheep or the cows and fatten them and take care of them looking to something other than their master's good and their own; and so you also believe that the rulers in the cities, those who truly rule, think about the ruled differently from the way a man would regard sheep, and that night and day they consider anything else then how they will benefit themselves" (343b).

As a sheep, what good do you provide the American Colossus, what good do you provide to yourself? You see the American Colossus staring out his great window at the great expanse of pastures and woolly flocks and pondering, "What is the best way for them to die--for me and for themselves? Or do I keep them fat and shear them, taking from their hides what I need to warm myself?"

The American Colossus reads further: "And you are so far off about the just and justice, and the unjust and injustice, that you are unaware that justice and the just are really someone else's good, the advantage of the man who is stronger and rules, and a personal harm to the man who obeys and serves" (343c).

The American Colossus now understands its own words even more fully. "Why," it begins, "when I say it's about fightin' them over there and not here . . . why, I'm really talkin' about fightin' the war here by fightin' the war over there. It's so clear now. It's about defeatin' liberals, the true enemy, by lookin' like I'm fightin' Osama what's his name. Thank you sheep, thank you. Because, you see, the soul of the city is my duty, not that of the world, and the soul of the city is best protected by sacrifice, constant sacrifice . . . of the sheep. We must defeat the liberal enemy that wants to put the sheep on cage-free land, feed them organic meat and vegetables, and teach them that they're part of nature and not descendants of angels who came to earth and pleasured themselves with Halle Berry. And the sheep, hell the sheep will smile and lick my hand as I adjust the settings on the jackhammer because they know that sacrifice means there's something to sacrifice for and that idea . . . well it even puts a smile on my face. Not that I'm fighin' all the liberals--hell those Kerrys and Clintons and Libermans they're all right, they defend the killin' too. It's the few crafty sheep, the ones that read this same book but draw a far different message, those are the ones I'm fightin'. Funny thing is, I can't name one. Oh well, doesn't matter, Karl tells me they're there and Karl's always right. Just like them Right Brothers, I like them boys, I'll think I'll just put down this book, look at the casualties for today, and listen to "Bush was Right." Maybe I'll even sing along."

Of course, dear reader, this is Thrasymachus' view in the Republic, and we all know that Socrates carries the day. We all know it is about justice . . . that and a good bowl of Lamb Curry.