> 9. Catherine II of Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
>
> ... she received her education chiefly from a French governess
> and from tutors. ... After the French Revolution of 1789,
> Catherine rejected many of the principles .
>
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_the_Great
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Disturbances in society are never more fearful than when those
> who are stirring up the trouble can use the pretext of religion
> to mask their true designs. "
>
> "Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with
> the entrails of the last priest."
>
> "Sentences are like sharp nails, which force truth upon our memories"
>
> "Poetry must have something in it that is barbaric, vast and wild."
>
> - Denis Did*****, French philosopher 1713-1784
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reading a book about the Russian Revolution, while
writing this . I had read about it before, but wanted to
better educate myself on my subject matter.
I had another book lined up to read after that-
the politicial writings of Did*****. I was so impressed
by his quote about kings, priests and entrails, that I
needed to know more about him.
I had already put the above text at the end of the
poetry blog. I finished the "Russian Revolution" book
and picked up the Did***** book, which I thought was
a complete change of subject.
The first thing, in Chapter 1, I learned that Catherine the
Great had been Did*****'s patron. I had not known that,
at the time that I juxaposed the two passages.
It seemed eerie to make that discovery, like the time
that I bought an obscure sea shanty CD, right after Katrina,
and found one of songs to be about flooding in New Orleans,
and sailing away to find better weather.
It probably means something.
Least of all the meaning, that heads of state should
not be above the law, and when they murder, should
pay with their own lives, like anyone else.
Tom Keske
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