The Culture of Liberty vs. the Culture of Authority II:
"Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer."
A Lecture by Dr. David M. Hart

[Created November 8, 2010]
[Updated July 21, 2022]

 

Dolce et decorum est pro patria mori (Horace)
Artillery Monument, London (WW1)

 

A Lecture given at the University of Alabama in "The Liberty + Power Lecture Series", November 16, 2010

  • Lecture handout - [PDF 1.4MB]
  • Lecture slide show - [PDF 20.1 MB]
  • film clip 1: Peter Weir, Dead Poets Society (1989) - the school teacher, played by Robin Williams, shows the boys how easy it is to conform and not march to the beat of a different drummer. 2 mins 20. [view clip]
  • film clip 2: Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - the school teacher urges Paul Bäumer's class to enlist to serve the Fatherland and reminds them of Horace's line "dolce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for the fatherland). 6 mins 14 [view clip].
  • film clip 3: Arthur Hiller, The Americanization of Emily (1964) - Charlie confront's Emily's mother on the question of officially memorializing the dead which he believes perpetuates the system of war. 17 mins 15 [view clip]

[Aditional images below]

Leaders in Uniform
Napoleon
Kaiser Wilhelm II
George W. Bush

 

Marching to the Official Drumbeat
British WW2 Propganda Poster
Barak Obama Inauguration Poster

 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
[Designed by Maya Lin]