Some of Hilaire Belloc's views on politicians.
ON TWO MINISTERS OF STATE
Lump says that Caliban's of gutter breed,
And Caliban says Lump's a fool indeed,
And Caliban and Lump and I are all agreed.
EPITAPH ON THE POLITICIAN HIMSELF
Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician's corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged
I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged.
ANOTHER ON THE SAME
This, the last ornament among the peers,
Bribed, bullied, swindled and blackmailed for years:
But Death's what even Politicians fail
To bribe or swindle, bully or blackmail.
ON ANOTHER POLITICIAN
The Politician, dead and turned to clay,
Will make a clout to keep the wind away.
I am not fond of draughts, and yet I doubt
If I could get myself to touch that clout.
ON YET ANOTHER
Fame to her darling Shifter glory gives;
And Shifter is immortal while he lives.
Such opprobrium is part of the deal - comes with the pay & rations.
But recent events suggest it still comes, even when there's little pay & almost no rations.
