The punchline

Why is it that given a thorough understanding of human beings' capacity for destruction and self-destruction for no good reason at all, Twain chose to tell jokes?

Why would a man profoundly aware of the ugliest tendencies of human nature choose to laugh at them rather than cry for the poor bastards?

Because the punchline, which is funny as all hell, when you finally get the joke, as much as it ever was tragic, is that if they're not gonna stop, losers, they're not gonna stop.

And there's not a damn thing you can do about a species bound and determined to consume itself in its own foolish pride.

Except for laugh at the jackasses when they fall on their asses. And give 'em an idea and some hope to get back up, when they get around to wiping the snot off their noses and doing just that.

Damned shame, this human race. So much potential. So little to show for it.

But the night's still young, now ain't it?