When I went with Kaz, Kara and Jeff to see Capote a few weeks ago at our local art-house theater here in Kansas City I saw a preview for a new documentary about the American war machine titled Why We Fight. I’ve been waiting somewhat impatiently to see it ever since. Lukily Kansas City is somewhat of a hub in the MidWest for art and dissenters alike so even though it took a while Why We Fight is actually playing in two theaters in the area, one in Olathe, KS of all places! Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki uses President Eisenhower’s farewell address to the American people as the frame for the film. Eisenhower, a WWII general turned US President used his last public address as the President of the United States to warn the American people about the gravest danger that we as a nation faced… the expansion of the Military-Industrial Complex.
Even though Eisenhower was a proud WWII general he spent his time as President of the United States trying to reign in the growing power and military might that the United States was building up. Eisenhower had a keen sense that every dollar spent on “defense” and destruction meant that money would be taken away from education, health care and help for the homeless. In one speech Eisenhower actually details how many schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, etc. could be bought with the money spent on a bomber plane. Eisenhower appaerntly saw the growing militarism of the United States as the greatest threat to our way of life. He feared that the “defense” industry would become so ingrained in our economy that America would become addicted to the economy of warmaking. He tried in his eight years in office to keep a tight reign on this and reduce “defense” spending, but even the President of the United States he found out, could not hold back growing militarism. He was espeically worried about what would happen when a President was in power that didn’t understand the military and war as intimately as he did… prophetic.
Why We Fight tells the story of the continaual militarization of the United States, while taking a closer look at several personal stories. Throughout the film we follow two Air Force F-117 pilots and their mission that began the Iraq War in March of 2003. We are also introduced to a retired NY Cop whose son died in the attacks on the Trade Center in 2001. We see his bloodlust and depression, and eventually his betrayal by the President he put his trust in. We also follow the story of William Soloman a 23 year old kid down on his luck and with no direction after his mother’s death as he enlists in the Army to “instantly solve all his problems.”
While I thought that Farenheight 9/11 was a timely film and brought up a lot of issues that needed to be discussed. I also can see that Moore probably just galvanized each side with his anti-Bush thesis and decidedly partisan treatment of 9/11. Why We Fight goes beyond an anti-Republican agenda and asks the very basic question, why do we fight? What are we fighting for? It debunks the fluffy answer given by the Administration and echoed by their supporters that we fight for “freedom.” As if dropping bombs in Iraq somehow gives women in Mississippi the right to vote. The film takes a much closer look at the money congress continually spends on “defense,” especially how the large war corporations like Lockheed, Boeing, etc. make sure that when they win a large bid to build a new weapon or plane for the US Military that the weapon/plane has parts of it built in every state in the Union. With this kind of pressure, even liberal democrats are pro-”defense” spending because it means jobs in their home districts.
The film also tackles what is an often overlooked facet of the Industrial-Military Complex today, the think tanks, especially the neo-conservative think tanks who run Bush’s cabinet. This film is chilling and disturbing, but absolutely necessary for any citizen who wants to be informed rather than turn a blind eye to the growing militarism and imperialism of the United States (or the New Rome as the neo-cons unashamedly call it).
I saw this with Kaz and Dave Albert. A really good critique, I thought. I had no idea how insane the military-industrial complex really was, and how unashamedly these corporations pander to a nation to buy their products to use to murder people. What a crock all the ‘precision’ weapons turn out to be. Talk about the failure of modern epistemologies, especially when the ‘knowledge’ they think they have about a weapon’s effectiveness comes secondary–if not dead last–against the imperalistically ideological claims of the administration(s) in power — all parties included. Foucault, anyone?
I had to continually remind myself that the “we” in “Why We Fight” is not one I identify with, but at the same time confess that I’m every bit as part of the problem in my own sin.
Peace,
Eric
While the overall deathtoll of Americans has drastically been reduced by military technology, the same cannot be said for the enemies of Americans. Granted there have been fewer Iraqi deaths than German or Japanese deaths in World War II, but the percentages of Civilians killed to Combatants is staggering. At the turn of the Century in a pre-WWI world non-combatants made up 10% of wartime deaths, today non-combatants make up 90% of wartime deaths.
Technology has served almost exclusively to reduce American casualties because Americans are able to engage in warfare as though it were a video game, where someone detached from the actual battle scene presses a button or guides a missile that will do incredible destruction on impact but where no Americans were actually physically present.
That was the case in the first Gulf War, where the United States suffered something like 70 casualties (many friendly-fire). This is portrayed brilliantly in the film Jarhead. Today however the US finds itself in a foriegn occupation, and occupations cannot be conducted via satellite and laser guided bombs, thus we are seeing far higher American casuality rates.
chuckles,
glad to hear from you again.
first, what the heck are you doing in KC? thems my old stompin grounds.
second, been waiting for the film for a while… for some reason i haven’t found it out here in Santa Cruz
Another movie along the lines of the war, which I only heard of through a friend who recently visited Ireland and saw it on TV over there, is The Doctor, The Depleted Uranium, and The Dying Children. Also, your comment about the U.S. fighting like we’re in a video game leads me to assume you have an opinion on the game “America’s Army”. If not let me know…it’s some crazy stuff.