Mr. Roberts saves Liberty

So Bush picks Mr. Roberts. I always liked that movie. Sure it was a war comedy and we're not supposed to joke about things like that. But I'm pleased to hear that it's Bush's favorite as well.

Who could forget the stong, silent Lt (j.g.) Roberts and the evil Captain Morton. Morton really didn't know who he was dealing with. An unknown when appointed to the WWII naval Destroyer class warship, he quickly drew the ire of the evil Captain Morton when he opposed the Captain's liberty thieving schemes. The evil Captain Morton denies the crew liberty, even though it had been granted to the ship by god. (Well, COMNAVPACFOR anyway.) But the intrepid Mr. Roberts devises a scheme to bring liberty to the masses. The plot is then set when the evil Captain Morton soon holds Mr. Roberts hostage though the desire for the very liberty that he seeks to bring to the crew.

So Mr. Roberts makes the deal with the devil (the evil Captain Morton), to bring liberty to the downtrodden at the cost of his own freedom. But the crew's liberty is just an illusion, lasting but a few days. The servitude that follows for Mr. Roberts is felt by the crew, who find themselves, now more than ever, under the bondage of the evil Captain Morton.

When the full nature of the evil plan is revealed, the masses revolt. Sort of. The masses create a illegal documents scheme to help Mr. Roberts out of his voluntary servitude. There is victory when Mr. Roberts is released from his deal via the subterfuge of the crew. Alas, his freedom is short lived when he dies shortly afterward. But he died a free man.

His last message to the crew, and news of his subsequent death, arrive concurrently. Upon hearing them, the letters inspire the cowardly Ensign Pulver to rise above his cowardace, and courageously carries on Mr. Roberts' attack against the evil Captain Morton.

Lessons I learned:
Captain Morton was EVIL.
Lt. Roberts was GOOD.
Stealing people's liberty is BAD.
Liberty has it's price; if you didn't pay for yours, then someone else did.
Freedom has it's risks.
One man's freedom can inspire others.
If you are counting on a man to secure your freedom look in the mirror; the strong silent guy that nobody knew about, gave the crew nothing they didn't have before he came aboard. And in the end, it was they that saved him, not the other way around.