What Is This Thing Called Sex?

The two great institutions of the twentieth century are Socialism and Sex. Neither is anything to be proud of: one may as well say it. But to say it offends the official and quasi-official etiquettes of good cheer that attend both.

In America you can still denounce Socialism. Under its own name it has even less appeal now than it used to have. It has to be smuggled into the forum these days —under cover of terms like “reindustrialization” and “compassion” that conceal that you are talking about state control. Most people still agree with Oscar Wilde that Socialism would consume too many evenings—one of Wilde’s few normal reactions to anything.

JS

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Joseph Sobran

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The two great institutions of the twentieth century are Socialism and Sex. Neither is anything to be proud of: one may as well say it. But to say it offends the official and quasi-official etiquettes of good cheer that attend both.

In America you can still denounce Socialism. Under its own name it has even less appeal now than it used to have. It has to be smuggled into the forum these days —under cover of terms like “reindustrialization” and “compassion” that conceal that you are talking about state control. Most people still agree with Oscar Wilde that Socialism would consume too many evenings—one of Wilde’s few normal reactions to anything.