The Ferengi Have Begun to Influence Me

The quarantine has resulted in my watching television more than usual. The one show that I like most is Deep Space 9 with its plethora of interesting characters, one of which is Quark (played by Armin Shimerman), shown above. If you are familiar with the series, you may have heard of the Ferengi “Rules of Acquisition” of which there are some 300, which can be viewed here. (Interesting that the website comes from Belgium.)

These Rules of Acquisition would be much loved of Ayn Rand and most Tea Party conservatives. They include such admonitions as:

• Once you have their money, you never give it back.
• The best deal is the one that brings the most profit.
• Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.
• A woman wearing clothes is like a man in the kitchen.
• Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.
• Keep your ears open.
• Small print leads to large risk.
• Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
• Greed is eternal.

My favorite is one of the most simple (and most true):

190. Hear all, trust nothing.

In these days of False News—both real and imagined—that is excellent advice.

Trust Nothing from This Notable Liar

I will continue to watch Deep Space 9 with interest.