Saturday, September 4, 2010

300 - A lesson in LEADERSHIP for today's politicians


One of the luxuries of being back home, is that I have time to relax and watch some movies.....while overseas, there were plenty of movies available at the Bazaar and the PX, but there was little time to watch them.....

Caught up with one of my newer favorites...300. While I would have done some of the story differently, the essential message behind the story of the 300 brave Spartans facing off against a half-million Persians resonates even today. I found it odd that the liberal press tried to demonstrate that the movie, which was released in 2006, had a pro-Iraqi war message....then again they could find a conspiracy in a box of corn flakes....

The lessons of LEADERSHIP demonstrated by King Leonidas and his brave Spartans are not lost on those who understand what " REAL LEADERSHIP" means....not like the false leaders we have in our present political arena....ugh. The so called "leaders" we have today are on par with the less than honorable politicians we see in the Spartan Senate.

The beginning of the movie features one of the key scenes where we see the wisdom of Leonidas and how he relies on the support of his Queen.....a wise man indeed.

(A Persian Messenger has ridden to Sparta to try to persuade King Leonidas to submit to the will of the Xerxes, the Persian King - The messengers displays the heads of conquered Kings from other lands and has a highly misplaced sense of who he is really speaking to...)


Messenger: All that God-King Xerxes requires is this: a simple offering of earth and water. A token of Sparta's submission to the will of Xerxes.
King Leonidas: Submission? Well that's a bit of a problem. See, rumor has it the Athenians have already turned you down, and if those philosophers and, uh, boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve, then...
Theron: We must be diplomatic.

King Leonidas: [ignoring Theron] ... and, of course, Spartans have their reputation to consider.

Messenger: Choose your next words carefully, Leonidas. They may be your last as king.
King Leonidas: [to himself: thinking] "Earth and water"?

[Leonidas unsheathes and points his sword at the Messenger's throat]
Messenger: Madman! You're a madman!
King Leonidas: Earth and water? You'll find plenty of both down there (as the Messenger is backed up to the edge of a seemingly bottomless well)

Messenger: No man, Persian or Greek, no man threatens a messenger!
King Leonidas: You bring the crowns and heads of conquered kings to my city steps. You insult my queen. You threaten my people with slavery and death! Oh, I've chosen my words carefully, Persian. Perhaps you should have done the same!
Messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!

King Leonidas surveys his people who are watching him and glances at his Queen who nods her approval of his actions)

King Leonidas: Madness...?
[shouting]
King Leonidas: This is Sparta!
[The King deftly kicks the messenger into the well and watches as his men cast the remaining Persians into the well]

Sounds like King Leonidas is a guy we need around right about now.....

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