Captain Kirk is better than Picard

I will defend my case and then rebut my opponents. Thanks again to Pro for this debate!CON's CASE1. Kirk is more rash than PicardPro challenges me to provide evidence of Kirk's headstrong nature. Very well. Here is an example (I would provide more if I had the character space): "Discovering a recorder-marker from the SS Valiant that described a catastrophic disaster following a visit to the galaxy's edge, Kirk pushed on, and encountered the galactic barrier for his first time. The Enterprise failed to breach the barrier, and barely escaped destruction. With warp engines badly damaged, Enterprise limped under impulse power towards the Delta Vega lithium cracking station. Kirk's helmsman, his best friend Gary Mitchell, began a transformation triggered by the barrier, developing psychic powers that progressed rapidly, with a commensurate loss of his Humanity." [1] Kirk new their was trouble ahead, yet proceeded with a boneheaded and unnecessary mission that cost the lives of crewman unnecessarily.Moreover, Picard isn't nearly as rash--Picard is more a man of intellect, and Pro never really addresses this. To sum up my arguments here, I can do no better than to quote the following, "Picard wasn’t the charismatic action hero that Kirk was. But he had his share of derring-do, made plenty of difficult decisions (including also sacrificing his ship) and he ultimately resisted the freakin’ Borg, the Star Trek universe’s most powerful villains. Had Kirk been assimilated, the Borg would’ve consumed every inhabited galaxy under Kirk’s hot-headed guidance. Picard was, as Shatner points out, thoughtful." [2]2. Picard was More DiplomaticPro says that a captain should be more authoritarian--but not when that means not being open to your crew. Let's face it, the only people whose advice Kirk regularly listen to were McCoy and Spock. Picard's trademark was his ability to give and receive input from all of his senior staff as well as from ordinary crewmen. Surely, that doesn't make Picard weak--it means that he's getting a variety of perspectives that will ultimately make his decision more informed and prudent. I'll address the second issue Pro raises here when I get to Pro's case.PRO's CASE1. Attractiveness is a subject trait--as Pro admits, many people think Picard is more attractive. He certainly aged better than Kirk...But really, if we're going to evaluate on subjective traits, we should look at what fans think. More than 50,000 fans voted and they rated Picard as more Inspiring, more Decisive, and more Intelligent. [3] Surely, these are not only traits we desire in a captain.2 + 3. These points contradict. Pro says that Picard would rather watch people die than break the prime directive, but then in point three Pro says that Picard breaks the prime directive to save someone's life. Pro cannot have it both ways. My contention here is that Picard does value life, and that he does do what he can to save lives likes the ensigns, but he tries to find ways to effect those solutions within the confines of the prime directive. Though, when he has to violate it, he does.4. Kirk cheated on the Kobayashi Maru. [4] That isn't something for which someone ought to be commended, nor is it truly outsmarting someone. If I can makes the rules of the game whatever I want, then of course I can win. It is much more a test of my personal skill to attain victory in the face of difficult odds and unfavorable rules.5. Picard was offered the position of admiral, but he declined. Picard could easily have become an admiral had he desired to do so, so this point is moot. [5]SOURCES[1] http://en.memory-alpha.org...[2] http://www.torontosun.com...[3] http://www.torontosun.com...[4] http://en.wikipedia.org...[5] http://en.memory-alpha.org...Thanks for an interesting round of debate. I now turn things over to Pro! Live Long and Prosper!