March 31, 2011
Meet Ron Swanson
Ron Swanson is the Director of Parks and Recreation in Pawnee, Indiana. Here's his official bio:
Ron Swanson has been Director of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department for six years. Ron believes in the elimination of government waste and has always brought the department in under budget. In 2007, the Parks and Rec department spent zero dollars and sixty cents out of its discretionary fund, still a citywide record. The sixty cents were spent on a soda.He also gives self-defense tips and, most importantly, offers sage advice via his "Pyramid of Greatness", which include important building blocks such as CAPITALISM (God's way of determining who is smart, and who is poor), PROPERTY RIGHTS (They exist. Do not let them be taken away from you), CURSING (There's only one bad word: Taxes. If any other word is good enough for sailors, it's good enough for you) and an entire row of various PROTEINS (plus ROMANTIC LOVE). Near the top of the Swanson Pyramid are WEAPONS, WOOD WORKING & WELFARE AVOIDANCE. The Pyramid is capped by HONOR (If you need it defined, you don't have it), which stands on the shoulders of AMERICA (The only country that matters. If you want to experience other "cultures", use and atlas or a ham radio) and BUFFETS (Whenever available. Choose quantity over quality).Ron has closed many unnecessary recreational spaces during his tenure, including the Portola Skate Park, the Grice Dog Run, the Morris-Easton Observatory, the Mohanga Native American Heritage Center, and most public drinking fountains.
Ron enjoys woodworking, breakfast meats, and the works of Ayn Rand.
Ron also has many life lessons and advice he's willing to offer, such as:
I got my first job when I was 9. Worked at a sheet metal factory. In two weeks, I was running the floor. Child labor laws are ruining this country.He has also won Pawnee's "Woman of the Year Award." Ron Swanson: a man's man and a true American.The whole point of this country is if you want to eat garbage, balloon up to 600 pounds and die of a heart attack at 43, you can! You are free to do so. To me, that's beautiful.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Don't teach a man to fish, and you feed yourself. He's a grown man. Fishing's not that hard.
ADDENDUM: Some believe that Swanson moonlights as local Jazz legend Duke Silver. I remain unconvinced.
I somehow suspect that this was written to appeal to Randroids. When I was young, I was quite a fan of hers. I attended one, or two, of her annual talks at Ford Hall Forum. Her personality (and personal life) did not advance her philosophy.
Closing " Mohanga Native American Heritage Center", I wonder if it is smart to advertise this. It possibly gives offense, without advantage. This does not mean that I do not wonder about government funding of any "heritage center". That seems to be the job of "heritage holders". I doubt that the Daughters of the Confederacy, or Sons of Confederate Veterans, receive substantial government funding.
"I got my first job when I was 9. Worked at a sheet metal factory. In two weeks, I was running the floor. "
I know little of sheet metal processing, I did some summers in a gold refinery and metal fabricating plants when I was a kid. I am dubious about the 9 year old part, perhaps his father owned it and he was "sweeping the floor".
" HONOR (If you need it defined, you don't have it)" It is difficult to define, I commend Chapter One of "The Lords of Discipline".(The story about Mrs. Goldbergh is a true one)
I note he attempts to affect the look of a youthful Jesse Ventura, I also note he aimed for the public sector rather than the "dreaded private sector".
Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 31, 2011 10:10 PMOK, I've given it a few days now....WF, this is a character on a tv show, meant to poke fun at libertarian/ conservatives, but as in so much good comedy, it's funny (at least to me) because there is some truth in there. That's all.
Posted by: Marc at April 3, 2011 10:08 AM