[extropy-chat] Authenticity, extropy, libertarianism, and history

[BillK]

On 7/13/05, Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:
> I think what Max says makes a lot of sense.
> When we are younger we fall in love with ideologies which offer a
> simple worldview and a simple chinese cookie formula to heal the
> world. When we grow up we find out that the world is too complex to be
> healed by a simple chinese cookie formula.
> Same for the "other camp" of course. It has been said (W. Churchill I
> believe) that one who is not a communist at 20 has no heart, and one
> who is still a communist at 40 has no brain. This is of course an
> oversimplification, but like many cliches it contains some truth.
> G.
> 

No, it wasn't originated by Winston Churchill, although it is often
attributed to him.
Winston said, along with many other pithy sayings,
"Socialism is like a dream. Sooner or later you wake up to reality."

Now, the original saying is so good that many people have quoted it.
It is almost a cliche now, with many people editing it slightly, e.g.
changing socialist to communist or liberal.

Someone has already done the research and put up a web page. 
Quote:
The earliest known version of this observation is attributed to 
mid-nineteenth century historian and statesman François Guizot:
   Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart;
   to be one at 30 is proof of want of head.
Variations on this theme were later attributed to Disraeli, Shaw, 
Churchill, and Bertrand Russell.
See: <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5952/unquote.html>

BillK