In gleanings from today's e-mail, I found this provocative parable:
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on
a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go
to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with cold
water. After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all
the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another
Monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it
with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the
stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the snot out of him. After
another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he
will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new
one.
The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer
takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth,
then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is
attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not
permitted to climb the stairs OR even why they are participating in the
beating of the newest monkey. Finally, after replacing all of the original
monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold
water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for
the banana.
Why not?
Because as far as they know, that is the way it has always been done around
here.
And that, my fellow monkeys, is how our political system operates - And
precisely why we need to replace ALL of the original monkeys this November.
The end.
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on
a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go
to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with cold
water. After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all
the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another
Monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it
with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the
stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the snot out of him. After
another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he
will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new
one.
The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer
takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth,
then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is
attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not
permitted to climb the stairs OR even why they are participating in the
beating of the newest monkey. Finally, after replacing all of the original
monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold
water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for
the banana.
Why not?
Because as far as they know, that is the way it has always been done around
here.
And that, my fellow monkeys, is how our political system operates - And
precisely why we need to replace ALL of the original monkeys this November.
The end.
