The Unkindest Cut

I'm sure we've all imagined being on both sides of that sword Brutus used to extinguish the most glorious luminary. The betrayed path to martyrdom must be appealing since it doesn't require any special skills or an extraordinary body of effort. On the other hand, seeing the surprise as you pierce a vital organ must extort some adrenalin too. I can't even imagine saying something rude to a third string friend so the idea of stabbing them in the back (or front) is foreign to me, but if I were saving the empire from a ruthless maniacal dictator (and Dick Cheney wasn't the vice president), I might consider my friendship a lower priority. Still, how do you repress the love for your friend as his entrails pile up on your shoes?

Et tu friendo?