Why we fight’, directed by Eugene Jarecki. 2005.
This documentary investigates the ‘military industrial complex’ in American politics. Inspired by Eisenhower’s famous farewell speech it tries to uncover how vested interests have conspired since the end of the Second World War to keep America militarily engaged throughout the world.Cont...
posted by Benjamin Nakizo at 4:01 AM
2 Comments:
It makes a lot of good points; such as how important the military is to the economy, how much government funding the industry receives and how without wars this major employer would suffer. It notes how large military projects like fighter aircraft and deliberately constructed around the whole of the United States, with at least one component coming from each state, thereby ensuring every Senator and Representative has an interest in insuring that these aircraft continue to be produced and used. It also mentions how ‘think-tanks’ have become so essential to American politics and how the neo-conservative ‘Project for the new American century’. Which included many future government figures, laid down the Bush doctrine of global military intervention long before he got elected and how after 9/11 the government went full steam ahead in implementing their vision. It looks at how the US military recruits its men and women with their massive advertising budget and all manner of cunning marketing strategies. Dick Cheney’s ties with Halliburton are also discussed and a big deal is made of the practice, common in every western democracy, of government officials first making friends within important government departments – and then joining large corporations who make best use of their connections. The documentary calls this corruption. Undeniable it often is, but there is a fine line between what is genuinely corrupt and what is merely the innocent act of selling ones knowledge of a system to the highest bidder.
All in all it makes a compelling case that the Iraq war was, not so much about oil, as it was about sending out a clear message to the world – ‘don’t mess with America’. The neo-conservative idea was that Iraq could be made an example of. After an easy invasion and a successful post-war settlement other world leaders would think twice, and then three times, before doing something that might upset the Americans.
Iraq had no connection with the 9/11 attacks and governments of both Britain and America simply lied to us. This warrants an investigation (which the Conservatives are calling for in the UK) since a betrayal of trust clearly occurred. There can be no doubt that if the ‘military-industrial complex’ of the United States had not funded and supported the neo-conservatives into power than there would have been no Iraq war.
Yet so what?
The documentary does not address the issue that despite the deception, despite the failings of democracy and despite the disastrous military action – a tyrant still fell. The world is a better place without Saddam. Iraq is now free to do as it pleases. It has chosen to destroy itself – but that’s what freedom is about. It’s never been pretty. America had its civil wars and ethnic cleansing, and while that doesn’t justify the horrors going on in Iraq it would do us well to remember what positive sounding words like ‘democracy’ and ‘liberty’ really mean. There is also much shock and horror talk of America wanting to dominate the globe. Again I have to ask, so what? Are yu telling me the world doesn’t need a policeman? Are you telling me that there is another nation on earth you would much rather have control the world? If the world has to be dominated by one power than I’d much rather that power was the worlds greatest democracy, despite its failings.
The war was fought for the wrong reasons, but it happened, we have to deal with it, but not everything that has happened since has been bad.
But American politics does need to change in order to insulate itself from the demands of big business. The true tragedy is not that the war happened, but that it happened largely because American democracy is distorted. That needs to change.
Interestingly Senator McCain is one of the big contributors to this film and he makes some profound statements about the sorry state of American democracy. And since McCain will only half close the American economy off from the world, whereas Obama will look to close it off completely – than McCain needs to win the next election.
McCain? Really? I've been so caught up in the Hilary Obama debacle I don't know anything about McCain.
The way things are going its fairly likely McCain is going to win, isn't it? WHEN Obama gets the Democratic nomination Hilary will have done so much of the Republicans work for them, it'll just be a comfortable ride to the finish line.
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