Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for July 12, 2010

But it is such a tried and true method.

Ah yes the old ways are still the best.

Would Machiavelli approve?

Et tu, Frank?

At least he is open and honest about his back stabbing.

What’s happening with Captain Eddie and Ekert?

Backstabbing is less messy than throat cutting - that’s one advantage. I only know of one other way that’s likely to be less messy - at least with a stabbing weapon.

No Blood?

If Tonto had only known that the Lone Ranger had disguised himself as a corporate executive, he wouldn’t have slashed his bonus.

What happened to Ekert?

Ahh….right to the POINT…

Please, what’s going on with Cap’n Eddie and Ekert? I’m 81 yrs old, can’t wait too long!

Et tu, Frank?

twypsi, it’s to be continued at a later date.

Hopefully next week…

Backstabbers can be the nicest people to your face.

The ever-so-smug face on the stabber.

Bad Karma Frank, bad Karma!

Obviously, Frank’s a man of bold actions and few words. It’s those silent types you have to watch out for.

Great puns today, and I agree Algurka, Mom always said to watch out for the quiet ones!

along those same lines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prDCDmchtTg&NR=1

Ah, but Frank is new to the corporate world and to the idea of backstabbing as a figure of speech. He spent his career up to now in the government.

As Capt Hook (Dustin Hoffman) would say: “Bad form!”

Is it just me or does the guy with the sheaf of papers look a lot like Joe?

Neato, Hawks. Jeepers, is that QT movie? I believe there was alot more than just back stabbing going on, though the entire 2 films were about the Bride being stabbed in the back by her ex.

Wiley, how dare you not ask our permission to switch from Ekert. Please consult us here for further permission to draw your strip.

More pertinent movie: A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM starring Michael Caine. Best business movie ever made and seldom played. Suggested this is the best way to succeed in business, Bob Morris nowithstanding.

It should take Ekert a bit of time to get to Fenway. He only has those dinky wings for propulsion.

How very Italian. Honourable murder should be done face to face. You might as well have poisoned his coffee…

New series on the Medici on cable (HBO or Showtime - can’t remember which) this fall!

thebird55 said: “Would Machiavelli approve?”

Yes…and no.

Chapter 18 of The Prince (“Concerning The Way In Which Princes Should Keep Faith”) states:

“A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them.”

In other words; one is not obligated to act in good faith if one believes that another party is not itself acting in good faith, or if circumstances have changed in such a manner that acting in good faith would actually cause you serious harm.

But he also warns:

“Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.

“And you have to understand this, that a prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to faith, friendship, humanity, and religion. Therefore it is necessary for him to have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of fortune force it, yet, as I have said above, not to diverge from the good if he can avoid doing so, but, if compelled, then to know how to set about it.

“For this reason a prince ought to take care that he never lets anything slip from his lips that is not replete with the above-named five qualities, that he may appear to him who sees and hears him altogether merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious.”

In other words; if you’re going to *be*; a back-stabbing SOB, then be sure to do it well away from the public eye.

Source: http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm

whoa…

Okay those that don’t have jobs, cut and paste here X

@Imanartisthoney.

I believe Non Sequitur is Latin for “It doesnt follow” The story line will follow on either next week or the week after - be patient - its always worth it.

@Reynard61

Although I had never studied Machiavelli I had assumed that such a blatant, heavy handed action would not meet with his approval.

I believe his point is, much as in the Kill Bill clip, there will be times that the leader is well-advised to take decisive action to quell dissension before a mutiny breaks out. Once that cat is out of the bag, clean-up becomes much more difficult.

After all is said and done, it was simply a matter of miscommunication. No harm done, right?