"License to Weekend" Economists December 25-27, 2010 [View All]

[Demeter]

As part of our weekend getaway, we will turn to that epitome of escapism, the James Bond story.

James Bond is the current king of the classic hero: like Grendel, Odysseus, Aladin, Robin Hood, you name it, the hero finds a bad guy and finishes him off, or at least, stops the villain's evil plot.

There is something primeval about it. There are very few heroes in actual life, and they usually don't get happy endings, or even the girl. Real heroes usually end up dead or disabled at an early age, if they aren't corrupted by an offer to good to refuse.

To be a hero is to take an unpopular, unsupported stand, to work like a dog and get little recognition or reward. Most people think heroism is the essence of foolhardiness, and don't want their children to grow up to be heroes.

And yet this is a time that screams out for heroes. The people of this country were very disappointed in their last national candidate for herohood, because his heroism turned out to be a marketing tool, not a profession.

So, a little escapism, anyone?