Following Question ID: 783201 

"Das religiöse Elend ist in einem der Ausdruck des wirklichen Elendes
und in einem die Protestation gegen, das wirkliche Elend. Die Religion
ist der Seufzer der bedrängten Kreatur, das Gemüt einer herzlosen
Welt, wie sie der Geist geistloser Zustände ist. Sie ist das Opium des
Volks."

Would that translate to 'Opium' or 'Opiate'
- I was once told by a pretty authoritive source that the correct
translation is 'Opiate'
- I don't really care either way, but now I'm getting curious about it.

Surprise, surprise 'Opium' translates to 'Opium'.

However, Groucho is often misquoted.

What is odd to me is that the guy who said 'opiate' was pretty emphatic
- while we questioned his judgement, we did not question his knowledge of 'facts'

Possibly the carbuncled old maid sh/gger wrote something else.

Actually as an aside, one of his early economic papers was spot on,
dead simple and dead short - essentially that we will have a bit of a
change when the capital/labour ratio flips - essentially Karl meets
Asimov.

Yes, Jerry, and two of his brothers were pretty zany, too.

I guess Scrippy's watching the 1st Test.

This guy was pretty good on the past
- he got his current chair on the basis of that, and while 30 years
ago we would laugh about his ideas of the future, we did not dismiss
his encyclopedic knowledge.

I suppose there must have been a reason, if the worst comes to the
worst I could ask him - but he was always terrified of me - I suspect
that I only got my place as they had a rather important Indian guy who
needed minding - my academic abilities were an unexpected and
unwelcome by product.

As it happened, the only other guy (apart from a Neanderthal who I
liked very much) on our stair was an emeritus (Classics) who was an ex
bit of hard case - a seriously nice guy.

I don't think Vern was wrong about 'opiate'

We were all innoculated with the idea that Marx was right, just a
matter of the very long term.

What puzzles me is why Vern was so sure that it was 'Opiate' rather
than 'Opium', since he is not a moron (but we loved seeing him screw
up), there must be a foundation for his assertions.

frde,

Scriptor has taken a little vacation trip, and will be returning to GA
in a few days.

~Pink

Jerry

If Vern was such a smart arse then maybe he reckoned that Groucho had
intended to say 'opiate' and he 'corrected' the quote accordingly.

'Opiate' DOES sound better than 'opium' - far more wide ranging.

Or maybe he was a Fascist who instinctively reacted to every Communist doctrine?

If it had been me making the original quote for posterity, I would
have asked Pinfreud's opinion and I guess that we might have opted for
'narcotic'.

Poor Scrippy who's gone to watch the 1st Test ... We are being slaughtered!

Bryan

@Pink - Thanks for the info

@Probo, 
I'm a bit more lucid today.

Actually the guy started of as a Marxist firebrand, but by the time I
knew him he was saying 'I'm a Marxist, but reckon that we are in the
capitalist stage'

He was also famous for his lectures, he made Marx(ism) sound like the
Marx brothers.

The thing is that he was very reliable when it came to 'facts', so I'm
wondering why he should have been so emphatic on 'opiate', possibly
there was another reference somewhere - or KM clarified things in one
of his boring footnotes.

I'm wondering if this is like: 'The unacceptable face of Capitalism'

Rather than 'narcotic', I think I would use 'pain killer', but I don't
like revisionism - it reeks of Mullahism to me.

One day someone should do some tests on those Ashes, probably they are
the remains of some old socks - hopefully S. is enjoying the weather.