Re: Neil and Willie
Mark Foss (mhfoss@web.apc.org)
Thu, 5 Feb 1998 09:46:49 -0500 (EST)
David writes:
>
>I think that episode - "Decision by Committee" - is really crucial to
>understanding Burnside's character. He's willing to move heaven and earth,
>risking his own career, and risking a major debacle for the SIS, just for one
>Sandbagger. I think it's a valuable counterpoint for those who think Burnside
>is just an amoral manipulator - he's actually a very *moral* manipulator.
>
I'm not so sure. You could name quite a few episodes where Neil puts his
career on the line for a Sandbagger. I would argue Neil's loyalty is a means
to an end. The Service always comes first; it comes above individual loyalty
and even his career. In Decision by Committee, the "unwritten rule" about
rescue attempts is not so much about loyalty; it's about ensuring that
Willie doesn't start holding back on missions. In other words, Neil is
thinking about the Service. He is also, maybe, thinking about himself, and
how many Sandbaggers have bit the dust under his command; doesn't he say
something like that to Jeff Ross at one point? Maybe it's guilt and fear
more than anything else that's driving him.
Mark