America holds the dream of liberty and freedom and protects the attainment and success of democracy across the world. As President Eisenhower emphasized in his “Farewell Address,” our goal as a nation has always been to “foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity, and integrity among people and among nations” (par. 7). However, since the early fifties, American society has become a nation of self-servers with ulterior motives that surface well after our nation has initiated conflicts with others. The Korean, Vietnam and the Iraq War all exemplify the new era of secretive purpose behind military action taken. These three wars span the majority of the past sixty years. This new era began when our country started our transformation into, what President Eisenhower coined, the “military-industrial complex” (par.16). This complex harbors an unbalanced society that allows for our government’s actions to become easily corrupted by the need to feed the industry that feeds our military in turn. During President Eisenhower’s farewell, he warned our nation of the devastating effects of this type of national compound. In, Why We Fight, by Eugene Jarecki, an award-winning documentary director and producer, the film introduces the audience to the lack of understanding our society has on the actual intent behind our nation’s conflicts. Jarecki conveys throughout his piece that the overall purpose for misleading the American public is to fuel the military-industrial economy by maintaining America’s political supremacy around the world. The director introduces the audience to this new understanding by employing anecdotes from certain citizens as well as expressive imagery that comprised of heart wrenching video clips as w...
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...the citizenship in order to manipulate not only our society but other nation’s as well. I believe Jarecki thoroughly introduces and supports his claims about our government and effectively raises awareness about the terrible effects that our government is having on our own citizens along with the citizens of other nations. Jarecki conveys his message successfully by introducing his argument with the utilization of heartfelt anecdotes and intense imagery emphasizing his points and galvanizing his audience to the important cause of raising awareness and seeking change. Throughout the film, visually striking images as well as the heart wrenching stories provided persuaded the readers to believe his overall message. He thoroughly discusses the aspects of the military-industrial complex and without a doubt leaves his audience at the very least questioning “Why we fight.”
As time passes, every society endures situations which stress its' very fabric. Each societies' history is sprinkled with these situations. One such situation which the United States underwent was the Vietnam war. For years this particular event has been hotly debated. Hardly anyone who was present at the time agrees on any point concerning this war, except that they regret it. It has become 'the greatest American foreign policy calamity of the century.' . Now the United States finds itself entangled in another war. A war in Iraq which is beginning to resemble more and more the events of the Vietnam war. Many analysts, and even the public have begun to wonder if the current situation is the same as what took place in Vietnam. The answer is a disturbing yes. The current military engagement in Iraq is showing signs that it will become for this generation what Vietnam was to that generation.
During the Vietnam Conflict, many Americans held a poor view of the military and its political and military leadership. Protestors met returning soldiers at airports, train and bus stations, and in hometowns with open hostility. Following the conflict, and perhaps the maturing of the ‘60s generation, the view towards the military began to change somewhat. The hostility declined, but an appreciation for the military never really re-emerged during the ...
From the PATRIOT Act of 2001 that was signed into law by the formal President George W. Bush, to the flags that fluttered in the front yard of every American’s house, the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 brought the whole nation together for a single goal of fighting back terrorism and getting through the test that America was put to. Everybody’s loyalty is getting tested since then towards the United States, and one cannot put aside Hollywood. Its reaction through the movies contributed the nation by bringing different ethnic, racial, social, and economical groups, which America was divided into, together and showing loyalty and patriotism to one’s nation. Hollywood movies in the post 9/11 era conveyed the message that “it’s time to give back to your country” through the movies.
This demonstrates to us that no matter how much your legal or moral laws are violated, what matters is how you as an individual react to the situation, justly or unjustly. This movie is centered around the notion that if you are a person of ethnic background, that alone is reason for others to forsake your rights, although in the long run justice will prevail
Starting with the economic collapse that preceded World War II, Heller describes how profit driven America acts in self-interest, avoiding danger and risk at a much higher clip than their allies. While in the Air Force, Doc Daneeka does not uphold his agreement to the Hippocratic oath: “to remember that he has “special obligations to all fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm” (Hippocratic Oath). The inherent nobility and altruism normally associated with a soldier or a physician is nowhere to be found in Doc Daneeka. Today, in schools and textbooks, the American people laud the United States Armed Forces and government for its honorable motive and deliberate course of action during World War II. Heller views Doc Daneeka and America in the same vein: the altruistic nobility of their perceived positions is misrepresentative and overstated. When asked about World War II, Harry Truman once said, “If you can’t convince them, confuse them” (Truman, 1945). In Catch-22, Joseph Heller masterfully found a way to accomplish
A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain ...
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a constant battle between death and love.
The seriousness is enough to make you lose faith in humanity for a second, but catch your attention and evoke deep and reflection thought into the truth that goes on in the part of society that is unknowingly ignored by the population because it gets constantly overshadowed by media and the government. More importantly, the film reminds us that progress will move forward only when those at the top of authority realize they need to relate with and answer to the people who want change, answer to the voices of people those broken, traumatized, who truly need
The 2006 film V for Vendetta, a cinematic remake of the classic graphic novel series by the same name, is the epitome of a Marxist fairy tale. The film is complete with a bourgeoisie government who spreads their ideology, via mass media, to a citizenry composed entirely of proletariats, and a hero who sets out to break said citizenry from the prison of false consciousness. If one examines the setting and environment of the film, and follows the main characters as they fight against, or break free from, false consciousness, evidence of Marxist themes are present throughout the film.
Michael Moore’s latest film, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” presents a critical look at the administration of George W. Bush and the War on Terrorism. In this film Moore investigates the rapid growth of the United States government and its trend of trampling the rights of individuals, and the corporatism that is spawned out of the close ties between big government and big business during wartime. Michael Moore may not convince all audiences, but is successful for its factual accuracy in which the evidence spoke for itself, and at the same time proclaimed Moore's artistry in transposing and splicing scenes to create impressions that supported his allegations and opinions. Michael Moore has employed two main techniques in an attempt to successfully influence his audience; psychological means of strategy, and cinematic techniques of persuasion. These methods, coupled with how they are presented to the audience, and how the audience react, are what Moore uses to create a scheming effect.
“America has been at war ninety percent of the time since 1776; 22 out of 239 years. We have an image of ourselves as out of touch with the reality of our military history, and we are on denial that we are waring nations. Gore Vidal said it well; we are on perpetual war for perpetual peace.” These were the first words said by Susan Crile during the discussion moderated by Harold Holzer, Director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. During these discussion, Susan talked about her paintings regarding the war and its outcomes where she tries to make the viewer feel and be aware of the pain and danger that a war represents to the humanity. (Crile)
This book is written from a perspective foreign to most Americans. Historically, American students are taught from a single perspective, that being the American perspective. This approach to history (the single perspective) dehumanizes the enemy and glorifies the Americans. We tend to forget that those on the opposing side are also human.
One thing obviously has not changed: war is still an ongoing part of the life of a nation. The United States especially has been involved in so many wars and conflicts from its formation that one begins to wonder whether it has become embedded in American society. According to Sun Tzu, “Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way (Tao) to survival or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed”. Sun Tzu stated that there are five factors to take into account when considering who will come out of a conflict victorious. These are: The Tao, Heaven, Earth, the generals and the laws for military organization and discipline. These five overarching themes f...
In 1971, during the unpopular Vietnam War, Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers to the press, influencing public opinion and ultimately ending the war. In 2009, during the unpopular Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith released a feature film telling Daniel Ellsberg’s dramatic tale. While no parallels are explicitly drawn in the film between the past and current presidential administrations, one can’t help but feel that the directors were attempting to awaken something in a contemporary audience.
The amount of corruption within the United States’ violent involvement in the Middle East is almost unreal. Unfortunately, the wars have been too real—half a million deaths in the first year of Iraqi Freedom alone (Rogers). These wars have been labeled--the violence, filtered-- to fit a specific agenda. Whether the deaths are deemed an acceptable loss in the name of national security, or as a devastating injustice, the reality doesn’t change. Lives have been lost. Lives that will never be brought back. The intention of wars is in part due to attacks on the twins towers on September 11th 2001. When the buildings fell, almost three thousand people died, according