Monday, September 20, 2010

Argument From Authority

Ben Barrack studies history:
In the film “300,” Spartan king Leonidas knew his country was under an imminent threat of attack from the Persians, led by the tyrant Xerxes. The law of the land – as depicted in the film and based on historical accounts – was that before a king could commit his soldiers to war, he had to get the approval of the loathsome ephors.

The ephors decided military matters in a way not all that dissimilar from how the U.S. Congress is the only body having the power to declare war under our Constitution. In the film, Leonidas paid the ephors a visit to explain the threat, outline his strategy to defeat it, and plead for their approval. The ephors denied him that approval, leaving Leonidas furiously apoplectic at their refusal to recognize a very real threat while using the excuse that war can never be waged during the time of the Greek festival known as the Carneia.
There's this totally cool movie I saw based on this totally cool comic book that was like based on true history and stuff and CONGRESS IS TOTALLY LIKE THOSE LEPROUS GUYS WHO WOULDN'T LET LEONIDAS KICK ASS. Proof? ABOUT.COM and the fuckin' CONSTITUTION, assholes! Documentary footage below, DOUCHEBAGS!



10 comments:

NutellaonToast said...

Shit. I think I didn't pay attention.

Substance McGravitas said...

The moral lesson is "Hey guys, show us your tits."

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

The ephors decided military matters in a way not all that dissimilar from how the U.S. Congress is the only body having the power to declare war under our Constitution.

Awkward. Plz revise.
~

Substance McGravitas said...

Ben Barrack does awkward. That's his thing.

mikey said...

I wonder if Cheesecake Larry has read Steven Pressfield.

Just kidding...

Smut Clyde said...

I am confused. Does he hate the US constitution because it resembles the Laconian constitution, or vice versa?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that as well as despising the Congress, he is none too keen on the Supreme Court or the current President. He certainly seems to be pining for the good old days of an absolute monarch. Perhaps he would retain the invisible-ink clauses of the constitution that make the Army superior to the other three arms of government.

Still, I do not personally advise basing one's philosophy on a movie about a small group of insurgents who refuse to accept the hegemony of a much larger invading army.

fish said...

Still, I do not personally advise basing one's philosophy on a movie about a small group of insurgents who refuse to accept the hegemony of a much larger invading army.

Amazingly, these guys never see the irony in that. I think they are distracted by manflesh.

J— said...

I watched Buñuel's Viridiana last night. Maybe this evening after a couple of Red Stripes I'll try to shove the U.S. federal government structure into that.

Another Kiwi said...

Also the big scary Monsters! Heeelp Mommy!!!Sparklepony, please save us!!!

Brando said...

Amazingly, these guys never see the irony in that. I think they are distracted by manflesh.

Also ironic that they would be against gays in the military when Spartans used to get it on with the shield boys.

Less history, more fiction!