Rastkogel

Published on 2021-7-23 by Michael Stanton

Timo and I had a fantastic day in the Zillertal, hiking up the Rastkogel and down a meandering ridge.

We had about a dozen different jokes going on at once. For example, we were going to pass by a couple of lakes, and Timo would exit after the first one to grab another peak south on the ridge. "It's likely, sadly for you, that the Lady of the Lake will deliver the sword to me at the second, larger lake, Timo," I said.

"Yes, and she'll ask you to warm up her from the cold water!" he said.

We went on like this, eventually ending up with the scenario that this Lady would probably rather be in the smaller, warmer lake that he'd pass by independently, while I'd have the unsettling task of entertaining an old, naked faerie-man along my way. Most unpleasant!

We talked about how socialism always "creeps" forward, and because it always has a tearful eye for the "oppressed," it loads burden after burden onto the back of the rule-abiders. Timo mentioned that in the European immigration regime, those Afghans who come here and fill out all their paperwork dutifully are sent home posthaste, because they are the easy ones to find and catch. While those openly hostile to the rule of law are somehow everywhere and nowhere, and the enforcement regimes throw up their hands and declare nothing can be done.

Besides, they are likely oppressed peoples as well.

Ach, so it is!