Letter 1.26

…The package has arrived in Colombo, and from the looks of things seems likely to remain there, I am now - as they say - 'in communication with the Authorities', which is always a frustrating business. It is useless to use logic with them, since they follow only their Regulations, which are not logical. Every time I'm forced to deal with the government I find myself more and more in agreement with Thoreau - not only his statement that that government is best which governs not at all, but also his remark that no person had ever caused him serious harm nor given him much difficulty, except those people who represented the State…