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God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

Book by Kurt Vonnegut · 8 quotes · Poverty, Vonnegut, Communism

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God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Quotes

“Oh, I have what a lot of people would probably call communistic thoughts,” said Eliot artlessly, “but, for heaven’s sakes, Father, nobody can work with the poor and not fall over Karl Marx from time to time—or just fall over the Bible, as far as that goes. I think it’s terrible the way people don’t share things in this country. I think it’s a heartless government that will let one baby be born owning a big piece of the country, the way I was born, and let another baby be born without owning anything. The least a government could do, it seems to me, is to divide things up fairly among the babies. Life is hard enough, without people having to worry themselves sick about money, too. There’s plenty for everybody in this country, if we’ll only share more.”

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“I think it's terrible the way people don't share things in this country. I think it's a heartless government that will let one baby be born owning a big piece of the country, the way I was born, and let another baby be born without owning anything. The least a government could do, it seems to me, is to divide things up fairly among the babies.”

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“Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely inappropriate and unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun.”

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“Forse, se cessassero di credere a pazzie come il fiume Denaro, e si mettessero a lavorare, finirebbero di passarsela così male." "Se il fiume Denaro non esiste, come ho fatto io oggi a guadagnare diecimila dollari, solo grattandomi e sonnecchiando, e rispondendo ogni tanto al telefono?" "E' ancora possibile, per un americano, costruirsi una fortuna." "Certo, purchè quando è ancora giovane qualcuno gli dica che il fiume Denaro esiste, che in questo non c'è nulla di giusto, che farebbe solo bene a scordarsi del duro lavoro, del criterio meritocratico, dell'onestà e di tutte quelle cagate, e ad andare dove scorre il fiume. 'Va' dove si trovanoi ricchi e i potenti' gli direi, 'e imparane i costumi. E' possibile lusingarli ed è possibile far loro paura. Soddisfali enormemente o spaventali enormemente, e una notte senza luna essi si porteranno un dito alle labbra, esortandoti a non far rumore. E nel buio to guideranno sino al fiume di ricchezze più largo e profondo che l'uomo abbia mai visto. Ti mostreranno il tuo posto sulla riva, e ti consegneranno un secchio tutto per te. Bevi finchè vuoi, ma cerca di non fare troppo chiasso. Un povero ptrebbe sentirti'".”

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