Two Goats theory : N. N. Pillai

N. N. Pillai (Narayana Pillai Narayanan Pillai, 1918–1995) — : The famous Malayalam playwright, actor, and satirist. He provided a classic humorous explanation of different political and economic systems using the “goat example” (sometimes a cow in Western jokes, but Pillai used goats to make it more local and humorous).

N. N. Pillai’s “Goat Example” Explanation of Political Systems

1. Capitalism
   • “You have two goats. You sell one and buy a he-goat. They multiply. You sell the kids. You get rich.”
     → Private ownership, profit motive, reinvestment.
2. Communism
   • “You have two goats. The Government takes both and gives you the milk.”
     → State ownership, redistribution, no private property.
3. Socialism
   • “You have two goats. You keep one and give the other to your neighbor.”
     → Sharing of resources, equality principle.
4. Bureaucracy
   • “You have two goats. Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and throws the milk away.”
     → Inefficiency of government machinery.
5. Nazism / Fascism
   • “You have two goats. The Government takes both and shoots you.”
     → Authoritarian, violent suppression.
6. Democracy
   • “You have two goats. Your neighbor decides who should milk them.”
     → People elect representatives, but control may still be indirect.
7. Feudalism
   • “You have two goats. Your landlord takes both goats and leaves you some dung as rent.”
     → Exploitation by landlords.

Pillai’s brilliance was that he localised the globally circulated “two cows theory” into goats, which made Malayali audiences laugh because goats were a part of everyday village life. But the satire cut deep—it showed how every system, however grand in theory, looks absurd in practice when reduced to ordinary life.

N. N. Pillai–Style “Two Goats” Expanded to Modern Systems

What N. N. Pillai did with his “two goats” is essentially a localized, satirical version of the famous Two Cows Theory.

Origin of the “Two Cows Theory”

• It first appeared in Western political humor in the early 20th century, especially around the 1930s–40s.
• Americans and Europeans used two cows to explain capitalism, socialism, fascism, communism, etc.
• Example:
  • Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
  • Communism: You have two cows. The state takes both and gives you some milk.
  • Fascism: You have two cows. The state takes both and shoots you.

It became popular in pamphlets, joke books, political cartoons, and later on the internet.

What N. N. Pillai Did

• Pillai took this “two cows” model and adapted it for Kerala/Malayali audiences.
• Instead of cows, he used goats, because goats are more common in Kerala’s villages, and the image immediately clicked with ordinary people.
• He also added his own sarcastic twist — sharper, more rooted in Indian reality (like feudalism with goats and dung rent).

Author: Master Vikrant RohinMaster Vikrant Rohin is an international author, and more than four countries’ schools are using his books in the core curriculum of education. He is the author of twenty different subject books. History, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, English, Biology, Geography etc. Most of his students hold high-ranking positions in the public and private sectors. He has cracked the world’s toughest exam, the "Civil Services Examination (UPSC)," eight times. Always a topper in academics, he was also a top-class sportsman, a state boxer, and a basketball player.