Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Or how about the idea of winning WW2 with a wonder bomb?

Certain kinds of truths are convincing only in a narrative. The idea, for instance, that the ring of power should be given to two undersized amateurs to throw into a volcano at the very center of the enemy’s camp makes sound and sober sense, of a kind, in Tolkien; but you would never expect to find it as a premise at the Middle Earth Military Academy.
-- Adam Gopnik, "What Did Jesus Do?" (a review of various recent historical works).

... A good crack, but of course Boromir presents the MEMA point of view at the Council of Elrond, and Gandalf expressly argues that force of arms is doomed to fail.

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