Book contents
1 - Nixon in hell
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2009
Summary
Hell was nothing like Richard Nixon thought it would be, not that he had thought much about it when he was “upside.” That was the term everyone here used to describe the world in which they had once lived. It was an ironic reference to the ancient and erroneous belief that Hell was subterranean. As far as anyone could figure out, it wasn't anywhere in relation to earth. But in every other way it was undeniably the “downside,” so the term stuck.
On the few occasions that Nixon had thought about Hell – usually during interminable church services that presidents feel compelled to attend – he imagined fire and brimstone and little red devils with spears and evil grins, swishing their tails in delight when they made tortured souls writhe in agony. Hell may once have been like that – opinion among “lifers” was divided – but over the centuries it had evolved to reflect lessons the devil and his assistants had learned from observing life on earth. Not that they lacked imagination, but when it came to torture, human beings showed an ingenuity and dedication that the devil found inspiring. So Hell was frequently remodeled to take advantage of the latest in human innovation. Some time back, the devil had installed an ornate, wrought-iron gate with the words Arbeit macht frei [work makes you free] across the top. Scuttlebutt had it that his assistants were now upgrading modules to incorporate the latest in computer graphics technology.
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- The Tragic Vision of PoliticsEthics, Interests and Orders, pp. 1 - 13Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003