From: chinagreenelvis@gmail.com   
      
   As for Syd, I think by all accounts he *should* have been the steersman, or   
   would have been presumed to be, but clearly was not up to the role or the   
   responsibility once things got to a certain level. The Ship of Fools had a   
   mutiny, ousted him, and then    
   eventually ran themselves aground never having really replaced him. Struggle   
   for leadership led to the demise of the band, and Gilmour finally stepped in   
   and tried to put what pieces were left back together.   
      
   Whether or not he did a good enough job is going to be forever up for debate,   
   but I think his maritime imagery tells a story of a man unsure of himself. The   
   blind leading the blind.   
      
   TDB is as much the story of the band itself as it is a message to the world   
   about conflict and resolution, both personal and on national scales. In   
   addendum, it occasionally goes a few steps further, past the idea of war   
   between men and on the idea of    
   war between man and Earth.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)