What Bert lacks is sufficient self-confidence and ruthlessness, that's all. He could beat the crap out of Ernie if he just had the nerve to. But he doesn't. Ernie knows it and takes unmerciful advantage of Bert in all kinds of petty ways. Well, if Bert just can't summon up the will to defend himself against that sort of thing, then he should hire a couple of local bruisers to take Ernie out into the back alley and give him a good working over.