The Cost Of Freedom

Andy Klein's review of 300 is nutty even for him. He doesn't like the film, which is fine (I haven't seen it). Be he all too predictably turns his review into an editorial.

First he's mad that anyone would suggest just because a country like Iran commits regular acts of war against us that we would contemplate fighting back.

Then he turns his anger on the Spartans, stars of the movie, who stood against the Persians at Thermopylae. Klein doesn't want a film that glorifies the fighting spirit as part of civic virtue.

Well, Andy, welcome to the Founding Fathers, who were big fans of the Spartans. They seemed to like them better than the Athenians, in fact. But then, Klein, being a modern liberal, probably doesn't trust anyone as politically wrongheaded as the Founders. (For that matter, why read Herodotus? People were crazy back then.)

Hate the Spartans if you like--I have my problems with them, too. But at least be aware if it weren't for their brave fighting at Thermopylae, it's very possible we wouldn't be living in a country where we're free to write foolish movie reviews.