Brad DeLong on the Iliad
Brad DeLong has such an excellent post on the topic of war, excellence, and heroism:
Let me put it this way: who would you rather have standing beside you when spear meets shield–Achilles, Hector, or Odysseus? With Hector, the man of honor, you will wage war when you should–but you may well lose. With Achilles, the man of skill, you will win–but you will wage war all the time, whether or not you should.
With Odysseus, the man of strategy, you will wage war only when you can win–but will you always be happy with your victories?
I think I would take my place beside Odysseus. But who should I take my place beside? It is an interesting question…
The question for my readers is this:
Who would you rather have standing beside you when the horde of chitinous bugs comes swarming up out of a cave? Lt. Rasczak, Dizzy Flores, or Carl Jenkins?
(Update: Carl Jenkins. You know — Doogie Howser.)
Thinking Way Outside the Troad And the answer to introvert.net’s question: introvert.net » 2004 » December » 07: The question for my readers is this: Who would you rather have standing beside you when the horde of chitinous bugs comes swarming up out of a cave? Lt…