You follow him because he's got the job or you're no good...
What does he mean by "or you're no good?"
Never got that bit.
i think it means you should mindlessly follow authority no matter what. Some what ironic considering that in 1950, the Nazi would be fresh in everyone's mind. Also considering what happened a decade later in Vietnam, maybe people followed the moral of the story to much.
i told you not to stop the boat. Now lets go. Apocaylpse Now
No, it doesn't mean "mindlessly follow authority no matter what". You have to pay attention to what Barney says before that, and quite frankly, to the movie as a whole.
There's a reason ships have a captain to lead them and not a committee of officers. The life of a ship and it's crew may very well rely on split second decisions that can't wait on a majority vote. A captain IS the ship, and the ship is only as good as the captain.
A ship's captain, or any leader for that matter, has to rely on and have confidence in their support staff in order to be effective. In many cases, a leader is only as good (or as bad) as their staff.
It's the primary duty of the officers to support the captain and keep the ship running smoothly, all the while maintaining his authority in the eyes of the crew. He's the captain, for better or worse. It's YOUR JOB to see to it that he succeeds, no matter what your personal feelings may be toward him, so that the ship succeeds. Otherwise you're "no good" as officers to the captain or the crew.
This means officers don't second guess or argue with the captain in front of the crew, they don't mock him behind his back, and when he reaches out to his officers for help they don't turn their backs on him out of personal pique, making him feel isolated and alone. If that happens, the captain will not trust his officers, the crew will not respect or trust the captain, and the ship ceases to be effective or manageable.
The following part of Barney's rant to the officers after the trial encapsulates the whole concept:
You didn't approve of his conduct as an officer. He wasn't worthy of your loyalty. So you turned on him. You ragged him. You made up songs about him. If you'd given Queeg the loyalty he needed, do you suppose the whole issue would have come up in the typhoon?
Queeg had real problems, and he would never be a good captain in even the best of circumstances, but he was right in his assessment of the Caine during the trial. It was a sloppy ship when he took command, with many sloppy officers and crew members. He tried to instill discipline and adherence to naval regulations, but his officers (and by extension the crew) didn't really take that to heart. Many of Queeq's outbursts originated from crew members not following regulations; improper dress, not wearing life vests or helmets during drills, showing movies without informing the Captain (which likely required his approval), and the pilfering of food. Most all of this probably could have been avoided had the officers stepped up and dutifully enforced regulations with the crew as per Queeg's orders and held them accountable for violations.
This sort of behavior only exacerbated Queeg's paranoia and pushed him over the edge. If Queeg had believed he had his officers loyalty and respect, he probably would have trusted them more. He might have handled the stress of command better and been more open to their recommendations. As it was, the officers (and Keefer in particular) just maintained a passive-aggressive stance with Queeg. share
I get it now. Nice explanation.
shareIf Queeg had had his officers' cooperation and backing, he most likely would have functioned better and been more rational under everyday circumstances. But in the typhoon he froze, with a terrified stare and a death grip around the engine room telegraph. He was incapable of command. The ship was about to founder, and somebody had to do something. Maryk, as the most experienced and highest-ranking man present, was right to take over.
shareIf the officers had shown Queeg more support earlier, then he might have trusted them during the typhoon. He might have asked Maryk for his advice, and followed it.
shareIMHO if the officers had done their official duty and done everything that Queen asked of them, without question, I don't think that would have stabilized Queeg more than a tiny bit. He'd still have felt the terrible stress of having total responsibility for the ship and her crew, he's still focus on petty details to make himself feel in charge, he'd still have been suspicious of his officers even if they obeyed because his inner fear and feeling of incompetence would have been projected outwards, and he'd still have fucked up in a crisis at some point. Probably the same one.
The thing is, you can't cure mental illness with niceness, and you definitely can't cure mental illness with total obedience. No, IMHO the officers were right to be on their guard against Queeg's issues, and to relieve him of command when the shit finally hit the fan.
"You didn't approve of his conduct as an officer. He wasn't worthy of your loyalty. So you turned on him. You ragged him. You made up songs about him. If you'd given Queeg the loyalty he needed, do you suppose the whole issue would have come up in the typhoon?"
Yes, absolutely.
If the initiative and responsibility for a good command should come from the crew, then what's even the point of having a commander? You can't control hundreds of people without making an effort to show you're capable of being in command