The Books of Probity

The
Books..of...Probity.

Man's most grievous fault has been to mistake knowledge for wisdom.

The Book of Craticans.

ehold ye the people in the early dawn of the Age of Technology, as now warm, rusty rays of light from the Age of Industry did fall upon faded jeans of blue, and the transistor did come into their radios. But lo, even as the television did illuminate the expanding network of the Interstates, their lives became ever more complex, and wisdom did abandon all too many of their young and old alike. And alas, they heard not the General's warning, and yea the Blest and Brilliant lied, and their heroes died, and the dreamers cried, and lo, Truth could not be found.

II.

ea, though two great wars had raged upon the Earth before this time, for five generations no blood had flowed upon the soil of One Nation. Yet many of the sons and daughters had been called, and did they go abroad to fight, and yea did all too many not return. And yet again did the Craticans call, for lo the Red Star of Otherism did threaten in the East. And yea said they, the dominos must not fall!

III.
ven so, lo was it a time of great plenty. And behold, the children of One Nation were indeed taller than any before them. For they ate and they drank from the cornucopia of their fathers' land, and they rocked and they rolled and they were happy. Never had any been so blest as these children of One Nation, yet when called, too many of the young refused to go! And alas, those who fled the draft were called Dodgers, and lo were they despised by some, and yet were they loved by others, and across One Nation fear, and anger, and discontent did grow.

IV.
nd it came to pass, that the army of One Nation did from the East return, and lo they carried with them neither victory nor hope. And now were the people sorely confused, and lo they knew not why they lost, nor what was lost, nor even whom to blame. Verily now, did all too many who had not gone, condemn those who did return, and yet each did blame his neighbor falsely, for that war not called a war. And yea, all too few of the people of One Nation did find it in their hearts to forgive, for they could not know whom to forgive. And alas, struggle as they would, none seemed able to forget that great evil had indeed been done!

V.
hence, issuing forth from the Blest and Brilliant came the Great Impropriety, and did the Craticans blow their trumpets loud, and yea did they offer up great tribute unto the golden idols of Capital, even as many loudly did deny it! Now would they simply banish Otherism, and did they declare war upon the smoldering fires of poverty, though they knew it not, and in haste did pour Entitlements upon it! And the Craticans did cheer and swear an oath unto Keynes, though honor him they would not. And, the Bureaucracy did swell, and they taxed and they spent. Yea did they spend much more than they taxed, and thus did they summon up the Debt from down below, and as a mushroom, and hidden in a huge cavern of damp and dark deceit, it did grow!

VI.
nd behold, upon One Nation fell a plague called Inflation, and yea did dollars bloat, and truly fell this mystic tax on all. And lo, from the Coast of Gold came an actor as a Cratican, and he did preach unto them, and Dribble Down said he. And yea all Craticans did bow low unto Capital, and thence upon tomorrow's children did they saddle all the Debt, even as they chanted loudly prosperity to all.

VII.
las, only flames of poverty, for like Otherism that fire too would not be quenched, did indeed dribble down, and did the taxes double, and yet the Debt still grew! And lo from the South, came a Dodger in the purple robes of Politic Correct, and also came a Cratican who was not. Yea did the people, having read the lips and been by the Dribble soaked, cry Nay!, and only thus did the glib Dodger rise to preside. And, though he spoke of Different, Dribble Down would yet be done, for too much of the Debt lay hidden, and beyond all bounds had it now grown. And lo, if any Cratican knew this, he was sore afraid to say it, nor did the Media atone!

VIII.
ut from beneath the Craticans slithered those who dressed in black and clad themselves in the armour of the warrior. And behold, they were called Law though they honored justice not, but did they enforce laws of the Craticans against things they feared. And lo, did they slay men who possessed these things but sought only to be free, and slain were their women, and slain were their children, and yet none they slew had harmed the people. And, lo did they slay even families in a Church, and the Craticans yet embraced them, praising them as theirs! And now among the people, some cried out that those in black were evil, and in due time all would come to see that evil, and they would also know from whence it came.

IX.
ehold! Among the Craticans walked a teacher who loudly did decry them, and in time did he also rise to Speak. But alas, he of words had not the eyes to see the oppression of those who stood between rich and poor! And, though in his first breath he did praise the middle who had so favored him, sorely did he ridicule them in the next, for he too bowed unto the idol gold! And lo, did the people hear, and now they saw him.

X.
mpty and hollow was the Media, for too long had it spoken not the Truth. But, those within did tremble now in fear, as Its echo filled their ears. Throughout One Nation as the people watched, more began to see It, and some to say It. From the Fringes, yet neither from the poor nor from the rich, but of the Heartland, rose the Militias, and they grew. And lo, some were angry, and not all were very wise.

XI.
nd behold, one terrible day a tragic curse did explode upon a peaceful city named as was its state. And many of their men, and many of their women, and alas yea many of their children died. And the people cried, and the Dodger lied, and at last even those who could not see It, now knew they knew It not! Filled now with fear, those in the Media began to try and tell It all. And, one by one, the mirrors they did shatter, and slowly did the smoke begin to clear, and lo, embers of blue fires of Truth did at last begin to flicker, throughout the people's land.

Behold, finally shall they know the truth, and at last the wise shall govern.

The Book of The People

I.
ehold ye now the faces of the people, in the soft blue glow of the Age of the Computer, even as storm clouds on high did spread and blacken, and great bolts of lightning thundered down upon One Nation. But lo, the microprocessor and its software soon were known by all, and quickly did they join upon the net. And lo, by these could now the people know vast knowledge past and present. And soon found they, not only prophets of the ages, but among themselves a few Wise sages.
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II.
ow too horrendous to withhold and yea still growing, burst the Debt forth from its dank, dark confinement of deceit, and quickly did its stench roil across the land. And now the people knew that the Craticans had lied, yea if the Trusts had ever been, then they certainly had died, and as hollow as their Media were their promises and their pride. Lo, as strife and wailing filled the streets, did the Craticans hasten from their Seats, and some would live and some would die, but never again would they rise.

III.
ark was that night, and in fright those who none had seen hastened to their hangars. And lo, with them upon the shoulders of their minions, did they carry all the idols tooled in gold. Engines roared and red flames lit the darkness, and did the Blest and Brilliant laugh, as they fled with all the treasure, in their winged craft.

IV.
haos threatened, but for this first in all of times, empowered were the Wise! Keyboards clicked and screens did glow, and around the globe all did know. Again a General spoke, but this time the people heard, and knew that he was wise, and that his message bore no lies. And smiling now, did they follow him with pride!

V.
hence, even from across the oceans and the continents, did the people hear the cries, as they who none had seen did their folly realize. Too late knew they, that the wealth of One Nation lay not in foil and paper idols! Nay, but was it in the people and their labor and their love. And lo, would yet the people have their day, and did they have the factories, and did they have the fields of golden grain. And behold! Still the mountains and the plains from sea to sea, were theirs to share.

VI.
awn's gentle rays did now caress a peaceful land, and in One Nation, not a Cratican, nor an idol could be found. And yea, dearly did the people love their government, but also did they see the evil that had come to hold it, and banish for all time did they the Cratican. Lo, each and every one of them who now would vie to represent the people, first would stand alone before them in the light of Truth, and thence by his own deeds and wisdom, would he rise or fall. And lo, all was well among the people, and a new prosperity did bless their land, greater than any people on this Earth had ever known before. Thence did it spread around that globe!

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