"Mencken, Montaigne & Twain, Oh My..."

Lewis Lapham's writing gives me pause, conceptual headaches, and now prompts me to examine my own inner zoo. As Mr. Lapham shares his tale of meeting a koala, which Homo Superiorus has always designated "furry, cute, and loveable", we learn that this particular exceptional creature will have none of the author's hubris and promptly gives him paws.

Edwina Pickles is the Australian photographer who shares with us the image of this beautiful, rightfully territorial, creature, which Pliny, writing long ago, considered far more exceptional than Homo Inferiorus. Mr. Lapham writes:

The studies of Pliny the Elder in the first century demonstrated to his satisfaction that so exceptional were the wonders of the animal kingdom that man by comparison “is the only animal that knows nothing and can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak, nor walk, nor eat, nor do anything without the prompting of nature, but only weep.”

I would suggest the tears of Homo Conqueratus are indeed crocodile, but that would be unkind to another wondrous creature.

Complete article here: < http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/12-8 >