Thursday, June 07, 2012

Theon Greyjoy tests the power of political oratory ...

... and also the extent of his own charismatic authority.  For those of you who are not regular viewers of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" (and who also haven't read the series of novels by George R.R. Martin on which TV series is based), here's what's going on in the video clip below.  Theon Greyjoy, son of the Lord of the Iron Islands, gives an impassioned speech to inspire his outnumbered force to carry out a gloriously suicidal last stand against a much larger besieging force.  His men have been offered safe conduct home if they surrender and hand over Theon.  But that's an insult to their honor, for sure.  Dan Drezner sees an instructive political parable here... though, in fact, I think the dynamics involved here are a little more complicated (and less simply rationalist) than Drezner suggests. --Jeff Weintraub