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[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 244 points 1 month ago

This one is even better than Tolkien's response to a German publisher in 1938, asking for proof of his ancestry, which may or may not have been sent, but tellingly there was no official translation of The Hobbit into German until 1957.

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject—which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.

Don't fuck with posh and emotionally repressed Oxbridge motherfuckers when they realize they are finally on the right side of history. 🤣

[-] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 10 points 1 month ago

I loved it when I first read it and this is my favorite part:

But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

In the link it has his letter to his British publisher, where he was even more blunt. Maybe the first time that "I have _______ friends" has actually rung true.

Personally, I should be inclined to refuse to give any Bestätigung (although it happens that I can), and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.

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[-] sundray@lemmus.org 135 points 1 month ago

Russell is one of the greats. But if you're looking for a terse knockdown there's always this classic from author Max Reger:

I am in the smallest room of the house. I have your review in front of me. Soon it will be behind me.

[-] PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world 37 points 1 month ago

That was impressively descriptive, but I'm afraid most fascists are too stupid to understand the burn.

[-] Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Pure poetry

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[-] HeartyOfGlass@lemm.ee 114 points 1 month ago

"No offense, but ew"

  • Bertrand Russell
[-] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 80 points 1 month ago

"After careful consideration, fuck the fuck off.

Yours sincerely,

Fuck you."

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 54 points 1 month ago

How to turn down lunch with a fascist by Flying Squid:

[-] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

Holy crap, FlyingSquid, is this real?! You had human hands this whole time!

#Bamboozled

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago

I am wearing this shirt right now. Really.

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[-] zante@lemmy.wtf 50 points 1 month ago

If you want to understand how to crush your foes with English, read Russell.

It’s dated, and ancient compared to the shit we spew, but it soo pure and clear (when you get the ear for it).

I am not a scholar, I can’t analyse prose or poetry, but his writing is cleansing and lights up the brain - especially if you have a fetish for reasonableness.

[-] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 month ago

It’s dated, and ancient compared to the shit we spew, but it soo pure and clear (when you get the ear for it).

I am not a scholar, I can’t analyse prose or poetry, but his writing is cleansing and lights up the brain - especially if you have a fetish for reasonableness.

I know exactly what you mean and I've never quite had the words to describe this type of writing. It's definitely old fashioned to our eyes, but it's so dense with meaning. I felt the same reading some of the landmark SCOTUS decisions of the Warren court during the civil rights era.

[-] Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

I have a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and I found myself loving Russell and Mill because there's no pompousness to their writing. A lot of philosophers use very flowery language that's hard to parse, but Russell just gets straight to the point, clear as day.
In my opinion, philosophy should be written clearly so anyone can understand it (looking at you, Heidegger)

[-] mEEGal@lemmy.world 49 points 1 month ago

Dude's a fookin legend !

In the early 1900's, he discovered a logical paradox that shattered mathematics for years, and drove brilliant people literally insane (one of them died in an asylum later on).

He then tried to redefine mathematics based solely on logic; but he failed after a 1000-page manuscript... and that was only the first half of what he intended to publish.

There are countless valuable quotes by him and anecdotes, he's a very inspirational man.

[-] Mac@mander.xyz 8 points 1 month ago

Unrelated, genuine question: Why do some people write "fookin"?

Is it just for fun?
Do you pronounce it that way?

I personally write "fucking" and rarely "fuckin".

Just curious.

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 10 points 1 month ago

I think it's use is popularized by the tv show 'Peaky Blinders' with the Birmingham pronunciation of the word.

Some have accustomed themselves of writing a bit more cautious, as multiple platforms have active swear detection (not the reason to use it on Lemmy, but there were are).

[-] Classy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

People often write how they talk, and I find the best authors will incorporate dialect and intonation into their writing. One of my favorite examples is of Blood Meridian. It's so amazing that one can literally tell who is talking purely from word choice and grammar with no quotation marks and often no indicators of who is speaking.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I thought it was to emphasize that they are Australian, but that's just because of a character in a book that I read.

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[-] zante@lemmy.wtf 41 points 1 month ago

Russell is the GOAT. If he was taught in schools, we would be living in paradise.

[-] NielsBohron@lemmy.world 55 points 1 month ago

Hell, just getting 50% of high school students to understand Russell's Teapot and the Burden of Proof would have a huge impact on political discourse in the US.

[-] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

That's his teapot I've been worshiping all these years without proof, only faith? Well that's good to know!

[-] kibiz0r@midwest.social 33 points 1 month ago

With all due respect, you are the antithesis of all that I consider human. With all due respect.

By the way, if anyone else was curious, dude was a “Sir” due to an inherited title, not knighted for individual actions.

[-] neonred@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago

Cancel Culture has quite a history it seems.

[-] parody 22 points 1 month ago

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letter and for your enclosed pizza menu suggestions. I have given some thought to our recent correspondence about topping choices. It is always difficult to decide on how to respond to people whose culinary ethos is so alien and, in fact, repellent to one's own. It is not that I take exception to the general points made by you about pizza toppings, but that every ounce of my energy has been devoted to an active opposition to cruel fruit placement, compulsive sweetness, and the sadistic persecution of traditional savory flavors which has characterised the philosophy and practice of pineapple-on-pizza advocacy.

I feel obliged to say that the gastronomic universes we inhabit are so distinct, and in deepest ways opposed, that nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from a shared pizza between us.

I should like you to understand the intensity of this conviction on my part. It is not out of any attempt to be rude that I say this but because of all that I value in Italian culinary experience and pizza-making achievement.

Yours sincerely,

What are the chances I had just sent something similar to someone advocating for pineapple on pizza?

Jokes aside - dude was pretty badass:

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He had influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic philosophy.

👑

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[-] masquenox@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

A half-brick to the face is an equally elegant way of turning down a nazi.

[-] OpenStars@discuss.online 19 points 1 month ago

The recipient better be fireproof to avoid getting burned by such vehemence.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Mosley was not impervious to fire.

Regrettably, the British people made the unforgivable mistake of not proving it BEFORE he died peacefully in his sleep aged 84.

[-] egonallanon@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

It at the time most researched was focused on how resistant to bricks he was. Not very was the ultimate conclusion.

[-] Wilzax@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

This must be John Oliver's uncle or grandfather or something

[-] TheBat@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

Can't be. His grandpa was a bird.

[-] troglodytis@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

His other grandpa

[-] DarkSpectrum@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago
[-] dread@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Honestly, same.

[-] GuyDudeman@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

Alternatively, you can accept the lunch date and then punch them when they get there.

[-] arudesalad@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 month ago

Wait a second, sir? Fascist? One moment while I check wikipedia...

Nevermind, it turns out he just inherited the title, not as bad as being knighted

[-] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

I mean, not everybody gets knighted for stealing from brown people or killing the French. Paul McCartney got knighted just for writing some nice tunes.

[-] Jumi@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

And Lewis Hamilton for driving cars

[-] troglodytis@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

All that and the Oxford Comma. Love it

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this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
1190 points (99.0% liked)

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