Darnay the Younger, Cato the Elder

The difference is that I’m neither a senator nor famous—and that Marcus Porcius Cato wearied the world about the necessary destruction of Carthage whereas I weary the world (in an obscure blog or two or three) about the world inevitably running out of oil. Cato’s dictum, inserted in his speeches everywhere, context permitting or not, never mind, was Carthago delenda est (Carthage must be destroyed), whereas my mantra is The World will run out of oil; that, rendered into Google Latin, is Excurrat olei mundi.

Another difference is that I still have my hair whereas Cato had lost all of his, but we are equally attractive as we look in the mirror after a shower. And if I’m to live as long as he did (85), I’ve still got nine more years to go.

Now another, and even more telling, contrast between us is that in part Carthage was destroyed because Cato was, like, on and on. Meanwhile the world will run out of oil no matter what I say. In his case navies and armies had to be set sailing and marching, but in mine one needs but turn the key in the car—which requires neither much consciousness nor emotion. But without that key, that car, lordy, what would we do?

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Image of Marcus Porcius Cato (234-149 BC) from Wikipedia (link).