It's Not Too Meta for Me if it's Not For You.
Daniel Brothers
2/9/2021
It's Not Too Meta for Me if it's Not For You.
Characters: Daniel Brothers: A playwright and carpenter from Brooklyn
Adam Smith: A economist and philosopher, credited with first detailing capitalism
Carl Marx: The founder of communism
Setting: A play, in which the action takes place entirely in the mind of a playwright. Taking place in the mind, the laws of creation as well as many of the laws of physics, break way for the laws of logic and reasoning. Don't think too much about it, but consider a Daniel Brothers you may know, and ask what the inside of his mind might be like. That is where we begin
At Rise: Daniel Sits in his minds eye, having conjured a fine meeting table for his weekly dose of calming Sunday afternoon thought (colloquially referred to as a nap or food coma). He has a notepad and paper, is wearing a hat this is not a cap, and is waiting for his guests to arrive.
Daniel: I had a thought!
[Adam smith enters the room dressed casually for the 1700s]
Adam: Hello, who excuse me? Am I meant to be here
Daniel: There it is! There he is, I mean. Hello!
Adam: I beg your pardon, I am Adam Smith, am I intruding on something here?
Daniel: No not at all, in fact I have some questions for you. Sit down!
Adam: Oh well certainly there boyo happy to feed a bright young mind.
Daniel: Oh so very bright. Now if you just would sit there.
Adam: Of course of course, I'm in no rush.
Daniel: Certainly not, where would you go?
[they laugh, there is a knock at the door]
Daniel: Ah! I just had another one.
Adam: Another what?
Daniel: Another thought, always a few cooking around in the old knocker
Adam: Right, alright.
[Opening the door you see enter the founder of communism, the OG Karl Marky Marx. His words are translated from German]
Karl: Hello hello, it is good to see you are here.
Adam: Who is this man?
Daniel: This is Karl, Karl Marx. Founder of communism.
Adam: Communism? I don't know if I'm familiar with that particular philosophy.
Karl: Well I must tell you it is the way that people must come to.
Daniel: You are probably familiar Karl this here is Adam Smith
Karl: Adam smith, an American?
Adam: Do I sound American to you?
Karl: No not in the slightest, you might want to find a more Scottish name.
Adam: Well you hardly need to be so rude at the first meeting.
Daniel: You will have to forgive Karl; he knows who you are.
Adam: He does? What sort of meeting have I stumbled into.
Daniel: A hypothetical one. Allow me to lay the groundwork now. You Karl, are one of the first great minds to give Communism legs and theory, you laid the groundwork for a lot of intellectual socialist movements with your work I am sure. At least as far as I know. And you! Adam Smith, if I recall which, I'm gonna be honest with you Adam, I remember less about you than Karl here. You are credited with codifying the idea of capitalism.
Adam: And this is supposed to mean something to me?
Karl: (untranslated
Daniel: That is a bit rude Karl he has no idea what you dealt with. Communism is the idea that everything should be owned equally by everyone, and that people will sort of figure things out themselves without the guiding concept of money.
Karl: That was really not a very detailed explanation
Daniel: Well you could try to do better if you would like but as a figment of my own thought you are kinda stuck with what I can come up with for you.
Karl: Couldn't you google something? Do a little research?
Daniel: No. But what i can do is tell you that you are in fact meant to be opposite minds, mortal enemies, tea and curdled milk. A midsummer night's dream.
Adam: You seem to be dozing off there boyo.
Daniel : Point is, y'all probably have some arguments to have so lets have them!
[A long awkward pause]
Karl: I. I read your book.
Adam: Which one?
Karl: The Wealth of Nations
Adam: That one came out so much easier than the first one.
Karl: I find that unsurprising, the concept is much more tantalizing.
Adam: It seemed to make a lot of sense at the time. When were you born?
Karl: Oh in 18
[looks at Daniel]
Karl: 0.3?
Adam: Oh so some time after I was born. Don't even look at me. I know we don't know.
Karl: So are we going to get along to spite this strange man now?
Adam: I am not opposed, seems to be on par. We both like stirring the pot that much I know
Karl: I would not say so, as much as I would say that I am compelled to do so.
Adam: But in a sense two sides of the same coin
Karl: Well lets maybe move away from the money thing.
Adam: Two halves of the same pie.
Karl: Is that a Scottish metaphor?
Adam: I don't know, you'd have to ask him.
Daniel: You really won't let me have my fun now will you.
Karl: I mean not to be Freud, but you technically are the one who will not let you have any fun.
Daniel: Yes yes yes. Bah. I will try again later.
Adam: I would suggest strongly reading one of our books before thinking too hard on the matter.
Karl: Maybe start a book club, and try to have this little debate again.
Adam: We will still be around of course
Daniel: I hate it when I'm right.
Adam: There is only so much you can do in one afternoon's nap.
[Adam and Karl exit chatting about something random, to leave Daniel in his head thinking about thinking about reading that book. ]
Daniel: yeah no this is too meta, even for me.
[Daniel exits his mind so he can stop thinking about thinking about. You know this play is too meta for me too]
End