Maybe we should bring back duelling. [View All]

That Stark apology was fucking humiliating. I'm sick of this capitulations, these dishonors, this bullying. So I asked what the Founding Fathers would have done.

They would have shot each other.

If 18th Century Congressman Stark had said that comment about the troops going to war to die for Bush's amusement, 18th Century President Bush would have turned around, slapped Stark with the glove, and said "You have insultified my honor and I demand dissatisfaction." Later, they'd meet at the field of honor, take their duelling pistols, walk ten paces, turn and fire.

Am I the only one who doesn't think of that as entirely bad?

There's a certain romance to demanding death before dishonor.

The funny thing is that at duels, half the time, killing each other wasn't really the point. Defending one's honor was the point. Some (but not all) of the time, duelists would fire shots in the air, or aim just to wound, or deliberately miss. The point was to show that you were courageous and honorable enough to look down the barrel of your opponent's gun and take a bullet rather than show cowardice.

Or maybe I'm just sick of seeing those who "represent" me cower in humiliation. Stark should not have apologized, even if he got censured, lost all his committee seats, his chairmanships, and none of his bills, earmarks or other legislation saw the light of day again. At least he'd still have his dignity.